And these are the qualities one would want in a future king: bravery, a strategic mind, and a willingness to lead from the front and set an example. He is willing to step forward, even as a youngster, and face a physically overpowering enemy alone. The message it imparts to readers is nevertheless valuable because, even if David wasn’t quite the underdog he’s usually taken to be, he demonstrates a keen understanding of military tactics in order to defeat a much larger, brutish foe. However, Gladwell asserts that both Derksen and Reynolds were grieving parents who did the best they could with what they had. Forget the difference in size between the two opponents: it’s the weapons that matter, and David was the one with the clear advantage.īut as Swenson also observes, the story of David defeating Goliath is still a powerful tale. Gladwell argues that Derksen’s response is more effective because it demonstrates a better understanding of power, specifically the legal system’s power because it cannot bring her daughter back. But a ‘sling’ is, as Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, hardly a ‘child’s toy’: it was a highly dangerous military weapon which enabled the wielder to kill an opponent from a distance (so they couldn’t get within slashing distance of you with their sword, for instance), often with just one shot to the head.
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