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David and Goliath

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Submitted By zahrashah1302
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My understanding of Gladwell’s (2009) article is that the original story of David and Goliath has been misinterpreted by readers. Readers mistakenly assume that David is an underdog however Gladwell (2009) indicates that David was in fact someone who used an alternative strategy for success; relying on his speed and courageousness, opposed to strength, power and size. As I read the original David and Goliath story, I likewise assumed that in most situations the biggest, strongest or shrewdest person always conquests over the less advantaged, and also are always the leading preference against the opposition. However, Gladwell (2009) reveals that instead David was proven to be smarter and quicker than Goliath as he possessed the element of surprise and an alternative strategy for success. Gladwell (2009) attempts to justify the reasons why those persons that are viewed as underdogs by society and who appear to be disadvantaged, are actually not deprived of anything.

Gladwell (2009) utilizes one main historical example to represent that the same ideology that David used to kill Goliath is similar to the theme of the article; the winning tactics used by Lawrence of Arabia in the battle against the Ottoman Empire are similar to the strategies used by the coach of his daughter’s basketball team. There are four key points that I concluded after reading the article by Gladwell (2009), (a) always play by your own rules and change the game on your terms, (b) continuously think in an original or creative way, (c) be prepared to act unexpectedly and be unpredictable, and (d) always contribute your maximum efforts.

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