Gladwell s Theory of David and Goliath

Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath:
Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
At the beginning of Malcolm Gladwell’s book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, Gladwell details how a simple and unprepossessing young man used ingenuity to overcome a powerful and much larger opponent. It was not simply that David’s victory that was improbable that made him great. Rather, he capitalized upon his strengths and turned them into advantages. The fact that David was physically smaller than Goliath encouraged him to use his cleverness and guile, assets which Goliath never expected. Rather Goliath was preparing to meet “a warrior like himself to come forward in hand-to-hand combat” (Gladwell 7). David’s technique is not unlike that of small armies which have vanquished larger ones through surprise, guerrilla warfare.
But Gladwell’s principles are not only applicable to war. They can also be applied to ordinary civilian life. In my own existence, as an older Latino, I have often felt like a David. I have had to repeatedly overcome prejudice and the expectation that I am capable of less than what I know I can do, if given the opportunity. Yet I have tried to transform this into an asset. My apparently unprepossessing exterior hides reserves of hidden strength. Because I have overcome prejudice and low expectations, I am always my own champion, never my own worst enemy. I know I always have to have a goal in mind, give 110% percent, and fight for every opportunity I am offered.
Because of my status as a minority, I also think that I have gained valuable insight as an outsider often looking in. I have learned to undertake out-of-the-box thinking because I have seldom been in the “in crowd” of any organization of which I am a part. Just like David was forced to improvise with a slingshot, I have had to dig deep and find creative solutions to show that I can offer a unique and valuable perspective and justify holding a position of leadership. Of course, this can be a challenging and intimidating role to have to fulfill. On the other hand, I have always believed I have deserved every promotion I have won, every opportunity I have been offered. While some of my friends from more affluent backgrounds say that they are haunted with a sense of being an imposter and a fraud, because they do not believe they have won their positions, salaries, or place in the world based solely upon their own merit, I have never felt this to be the case. As noted by Gladwell, sometimes not playing by the rules because you don’t know the rules, as was exemplified in the example of Lawrence of Arabia, another David who quashed a Goliath, can be helpful.
Being a member of a minority group has also strengthened my friendships and family ties with fellow members of that same group. My extended family has been a great source of strength, and one reason I think I have never moved far away from them is the fact that I never feel ostracized or like a member of a minority groups when I am around them. Even beyond my family, however, when I am with people from my culture, I feel connected with something larger than myself. Traveling to a different location for business or pleasure, I know that if I go to the right kinds of restaurants, grocery stores, or music venues, I will be able to connect with like-minded people and not feel lonely.
Of course, being the recipient of prejudice can be hurtful. But I have a strong sense of self, forged in a strong community, and I have never taken the prejudices of others to heart. I know who and what I am. While I may have faced setbacks, they have only strengthened my determination to turn those setbacks into learning experiences and times of growth. Without my background I would never have had the courage to return to college as an older adult, willing to take risk in the pursuit of knowledge.

Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 2013.