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Why Davids Can Defeat Goliaths
Everyone loves the underdog because everyone can relate to them; they can succeed despite the uncontrollable disadvantageous circumstances. But why is it that underdogs can succeed? In Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath, he proposes that it is because advantages are not always helpful, underdogs can actually possess desirable disadvantages, and the unconventional tactics and approaches they use are actually quite effective. Underdogs are able to succeed because of their disadvantaged background rather than in spite of them.
Underdogs are able to succeed because their opponent’s advantages are not always beneficial. Gladwell discusses how wealth, a traditional advantage, can actually cause parenting to be more
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difficult:“How do you teach ‘work hard, be independent, learn the meaning of money’ to children who look around themselves and realize that they never have to to work hard, be independent, or learn the meaning of money?” (Gladwell 50). This illustrates that parenting becomes more difficult when a family has too much money because it becomes difficult for the child to understand necessary moral principles when they do not apply to themselves at all. Similarly, private schools always boast of their small class sizes which studies have shown can actually be detrimental to a student’s learning. In chapter three, Gladwell discusses how small class sizes can be counterproductive: “I had a class of nine students in a grade-twelve Academic French. Sounds like a dream doesn’t it? It was a nightmare! You can't get any kind of conversation or discussion going in the target language. It’s difficult to play games to reinforce vocabulary, grammar skills, et cetera. The momentum just isn’t there” (Gladwell 58). Teachers explain that when the class is too small, there is not enough breadth of opinion to get the discussion going. Small class sizes make the classroom too intimate — which discourages high school students trying to protect their autonomy. Hence, traditional advantages such as small class sizes or wealth are not always beneficial and can bring about more harm than good. Underdogs are able to use unconventional tactics or approaches because their disadvantaged background forces them to analyze situations in a different perspective. In the ancient biblical battle between David and Goliath, David triumphs because his lack of military knowledge or experience allows him to approach the battle with a different mindset. In the introduction, Gladwell discusses why David can succeed: “David however, has no intention of honoring the rituals of close combat. When he tells Saul that he has killed bears and lions as a shepherd, he does so not just as a testimony to his courage but to make another point: that he intends to fight Goliath the same way he has learned to fight wild animals — as a projectile warrior” (Gladwell 10-11). Indeed, all the spectators accume that the battle would be one of close combat; which was the norm at the time. David, a lowly shepherd who had no previous military experience, goes against the standard model and is victorious as a result. Similarly, Gladwell also introduces Wyatt Walker,who was a prominent civil rights advocate in the 1960s. Walker knew that for the civil rights movement to gain the momentum that they required, he needed to outsmart the local police. An iconic photo that changed the face of the movement details a calm -faced high school student who was leaning forward passively meanwhile he was attacked by a police officer’s german shepherd. The famous photo allowed the civil rights movement to gain the publicity that they needed. Does Wyatt Walker’s behaviour make you uncomfortable? James Forman, who was a key figure in the civil rights movement in those years, was with Walker when Connor first deployed the K-9 units. Forman says that Walker started jumping with joy. ‘We’ve got a movement, We’ve got a movement. We had some police brutality. (Gladwell 186) The infamous picture is not exactly what it seems but it got Walker the reaction he needed. In reality, the policeman in the photo was actually trying to hold the canine back and the high school boy was leaning forward to deal a sharper blow to the dog in an act of self-defense. Walker knew that he needed to use unorthodox and even misleading methods to accomplish his objectives because the local police possessed superior numbers and resources. To summarize, underdogs are able to employ successful atypical tactics because their inferior position allows them to think outside the box and go against the social norm. Setbacks can paradoxically become advantageous.
In chapter four, David Boies, one of the most famous lawyers in the world, explains how his dyslexia allows him to flourish in his profession: “ But on the other hand, not being able to read a lot and learning by listening and asking questions means that I need to simplify issues to their basics. And that is very powerful, because in trial cases, judges and jurors — neither of them have the time or the ability to become an expert in the subject” (Gladwell 110). Boies is able to succeed as a lawyer because he develops a formidable memory and listening skills. In other words, his disadvantage is desirable because it allows him to develop other more effective skills. Furthermore, studies show that an underdog's early difficulties can often help them succeed later on in life. Historian Lucille Iremonger discovers that sixty-seven percent of the British prime ministers lost a parent before the age of sixteen. “Gifted children and child prodigies seem most likely to emerge in highly supportive family conditions. In contrast, geniuses have a perverse tendency of growing up in more adverse conditions” (Gladwell 142). This addresses the desirable disadvantage that growing up without a parent may result in more success. Children’s worst fears (the loss of a parent) are realized and when they discover that they are still standing — now have the courage, resiliency and self-confidence to achieve what others
cannot. Underdogs are able to triumph because their traditionally superior adversaries possess unfavorable assets and their conventional handicaps can actually allow them to flourish and succeed when compared to their advantaged counterparts. Traditional benefits can actually prove to be counterproductive to their actions. Underdogs are able to utilize unorthodox but successful tactics because their handicaps force them to act outside of conventional standards. Desirable disadvantages allow dark horses to develop other unique skillsets that enable them to succeed. These factors allow Davids to triumph over their Goliath counterparts. In the future, one should closely examine the underdogs they are rooting for — are the results still as unexpected?
These children do not have to go through everything they parents went through to be successful. They do not know the meaning of working hard, setting goals and achieve those goals. So these kids end up losing their goals and sense of self-worth, Gladwell says.
Doctors B. Eide and F. Eide have a private practice in neurolearning in the pacific northwest. They list their relevant memberships in the International Dyslexia Association, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America. As of the publishing date they are board members for SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). The doctors also travel as lecturers on the subject. The novel approach taken in their book, The Dyslexic Advantage, is that rather than viewing dyslexia as only a learning deficiency they highlight what might be considered its talents and skills. Using their many years of experience both in education and science, they focus on bridging what is known about the physical makeup of a dyslexic brain with what they have
Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is no correlation between the more money you have and being a better parent because money “money [only] makes parenting easier until a certain point” (49) and once you reach that point, there is no difference. He uses a graph to map out the curve of money and parenting, with the maximum income that makes parenting easier being seventy-five thousand dollars, before the higher income actually weighs down the parents and their ability to provide their children with what they need. He uses this graph to explain that not having as much money as someone who is considered rich can actually be an advantage because the more money you have, the harder it is to raise “ well-adjusted children” (52) who don’t take the money they were born into for granted. Going back to the idea of dyslexia being able to become an advantage for some, Gladwell used a study to support this point. Using the idea of what they call “desirable difficulties” (page 102), a Yale professor named Shane Frederick created the Cognitive Reflection Test, and used it in a study for college students. This three question test was used in a study and given to college students at school such as Princeton, where they only averaged “1.9 correct answers out of three.” (page 104) Psychologists Adam Alter and Daniel Oppenheimer found that people’s test scores increased when the test
Two of Wheatley’s more explicitly biblical poems are those of “Goliath of Gath” and “Isaiah lxiii. 1-8,” both of which are “verse paraphrases,” respectively, of the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 and the verses which the poem is named after (Scheick, “Subjection and Prophecy” 124). In writing on these verse paraphrases, William J. Sheick speculates that Wheatley might have identified with the biblical David, “as a servant of humble origin and as a lyricist from a distant land” and because of his “ruddy complexion” (“Subjection and Prophecy” 124). Furthermore, Wheatley may have seen David as “appealing as a poet of divine favor whose distinctive skin pigmentation made him, as it were, a minority figure among his people” (Scheick “Subjection
Our abilities are often what we use to define our worth. Whether we fail or succeed our future lifestyle is open to our discretion; however, we fail to realize outside influences have the ability to cripple us. One way in which this is true is through the education system. If we fail to meet the average or typical standards of others we often mark ourselves as useless. Children, and adults, facing adversity in literacy see this as a daily struggle no matter what their individual disability is. In “Dyslexia” by Eileen Simpson, and “The Library Card”, by Richard Wright, details are what define their disabilities to their audiences. Through the descriptions presented in “Dyslexia”, we have the ability to place ourselves into Simpson’s point of view; meanwhile, in “The Library Card” it is easy to draw a connection between this story and the struggle of those in slave narratives such as the one written by Frederick Douglass.
He starts with the first example, “In Rosewood High school, Ranadive coached a team of girls who had no talent in a sport he knew nothing about. He was an underdog and a misfit, and that gave him the freedom to try things no one else even dreamt of” (Gladwell 67). This work of literature is not a theory, but rather a fact-based research on abnormal neurological behavior of ‘disadvantaged’ people. Gladwell writes about the art of battling giants to prove that misfits and underdogs are bound to win due to their limited material resources and many disadvantages. Being at a disadvantage means the state or instance of being in an unfavorable circumstance or condition.
I decided to analyze the similarities and differences between the two gods: Zeus and his son Dionysus. Even though Dionysus is of the same lineage of Zeus, this does not mean they share all of the same characteristics of one another. They differ greatly in attitude, appearance and morals. Zeus is considered the king of all gods, and he proudly uses his powers for his own amusement and pleasure, often at the expense of others lives. Whereas, Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility and he uses his powers to bring both pleasure and an escape from the grief that plagues ones mind but this can come at a cost leading the consumer to become unpredictable and easily influenced through overindulgence and addiction.
Even if a parent reads to his or her child often, the child’s cognitive development is likely to be affected by his or her teacher. If the teacher does not succeed in inspiring the child, then it is likely that the rate of cognitive development will be lower than a child with a successfully inspiring teacher, regardless of parent to child reading rate.
The common characteristics allowed all of the underdogs to prevail in challenge situations are they are willing to do things they want and never give up. They use their knowledge, intelligent and hard work to achieve their goals. They also make their own strategy to fight their opponents. They are doing thing that their opponents never expect that. According to Gladwell, not all the underdogs do what it takes to prevail because “Underdog strategies are hard”. The underdogs seem have no chance to win in a battle, this make they have to work and practice harder to prevail. There are not every underdogs are going to practice two hours a day; less talking and “moving almost ninety-eight percent of the practice” as Vivek Ranadive basketball team did. Gladwell’s main idea in this chapter is we do not have to be afraid of our weakness, we can beat anything if we work hard and create our own strategies to fit in that battle. We should go outside the box, doing unconventional thing and freedom to create our strategies. My little cousin fits Gladwell's perspective. She is ten years old; she love
For example, while the characteristics of “grit” are highly heritable, Wente fails to consider that intergenerational similarities cannot be completely ascribed to genetics. Children tend to model their behaviour upon that of their parents, which could partially explain the phenomenon that “the most significant predictor of how kids will do in school is how their parents did in school” (par. 7). In addition, Wente assumes that intelligence, the cognitive factor of achievement, is a result of genetics alone. She does not recognize that cognitive abilities are influenced by both nature and nurture, since the human brain is capable of physical growth and development. Under the right conditions, brains can build denser networks of neurons, and essentially increase in intelligence. Due to Wente’s polarized thinking, her conclusions appear ill-considered and flawed, leading readers to become suspicious of the content of her
Living with the learning condition dyslexia, can be a very hard challenge to face alone and thanks to the essay “Living with Dyslexia” by Gareth Cook, he allows us to see the challenges he faced while growing up. Cook states “I was never able to learn cursive, and I am virtually unable to take handwritten notes while someone is talking.” (158). this is a powerful statement by Gareth Cook as this is a biography on his challenges with Dyslexia. Students in modern society multitask daily by taking notes and listening to the teacher. It is something we are taught how to do at a younger age and we build up our knowledge on how to do it better each year. Cook describes what goes on in a dyslexic’s brain very well… He said “Dyslexia involves a problem with how the brain translates sounds and those funny squiggles on a page.” (159). This statement here shows how valuable language is in learning how to read and write. Without the birth of our language, we could potentially have the verbal capacity of a baby and that would lead us nowhere. Most careers in any field of work demand the ability to be able to speak a language and communicate with their peers. We learn how to speak at a very young age and learn to read and write as the years progress. However unfortunately with Gareth Cook, it took him a bit longer to learn the reading and writing process. Not being able to read and write as well as the rest of the population, can hinder the confidence of some children with dyslexia but for the most part I think it would encourage them just to try even
Humans are not effortlessly born smart; therefore, babies have no sort of knowledge on how to function properly when conceived into the earths domain. In “Against School” by John Taylor Gatto, the government is testing whether school is sufficiently necessary to become successful. However, if children did not have education it would be very tough to absorb social skills, it would be very tough to absorb responsibility, and it would be very tough to absorb in what way to complete math, in what way to complete English, and in what way to complete expressive arts. In “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X, Malcom wanted to be successful in life more than anyone else. It was very hard for Malcom to acquire the correct education, because he
In How Children Succeed, Paul Tough attempts to unravel what he identifies to be, “some of the most pervasive mysteries of life: Who succeeds and who fails? Why do some children thrive while others lose their way? And what can any of us do to steer an individual child – or a whole generation of children – away from failure and toward success?” (Tough, 2012). Children are born into environments of varying circumstances, good and bad, influencing their development. Through direct encounters with researchers, educators and children of different environments, Paul Tough approaches his questions by ex...
In Greek mythology, the children of the gods are heroes known for their dedication and their accomplishments. Hercules and Jason are two very well known heroes in Greek mythology. There are many similarities between them because they both show great strength and courage; however, they are different by their accomplishments and life ending.
The intent of this essay is to examine the similarities between the letters of II Peter and Jude. These similarities will be based on the purpose and the main issues addressed in each letter. The majority of the similarities appear in II Peter 2 and Jude 1-18, so these are the areas that will be expounded on and receive the most focus. Any verse or verses in both letters that are extremely similar and almost identical, will be also be brought to attention, and briefly focused upon. By the end of this essay the reader will be able to identify and recognise the similarities between the letters of both II Peter and Jude. However, the essay will start by looking at who the authors of these letters were.