David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

by Malcolm Gladwell

there comes a point where the best-intentioned application of power and authority begins to backfire.

“Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

If our comrades, whose only fault is to be born in another religion, received the order to let themselves be deported, or even examined, they would disobey the order received, and we would try to hide them as best we could.

The powerful are not as powerful as they seem—nor the weak as weak.

David beat Goliath—if, in fact, Davids beat Goliaths all the time, if adversity is a great teacher, if resources ultimately become self-defeating—why doesn’t that change the way we make sense of the world?

No one had shown any interest in their lives and experiences for a long time, so when the interviewer sat and listened patiently, their stories would come tumbling out.

We aren’t very good at confronting these lessons about power.

Understanding the power of the underdog requires an effort. It requires standing up to conventional wisdom.