David and Goliath

Gladwell introduces the setting of the biblical David and Goliath’s famous battle, which took place in the valley of Elah in the north of ancient Palestine. According to the tale, the Israelites and the Philistines encounter each other while standing on either side of the valley. This setup forces them into a stalemate, since it would be suicidal for either army to run down one side and up the other, rendering them vulnerable to their enemy. Soon, though, a brave Philistine named Goliath descends into the valley. Goliath is enormous, standing at roughly six feet, nine inches tall and wearing nearly 100 pounds of armor. He carries a spear, a javelin, and a sword, and he is accompanied by a servant carrying Goliath’s massive shield. Addressing the Philistines, Goliath tells them to send him an opponent and says that whoever wins in one-on-one combat with him will determine which army emerges victorious.

None of the Israelites want to face the hulking Goliath. Finally, though, a small shepherd boy named David steps forth to volunteer. Looking upon him, King Saul says David can’t go because he doesn’t stand a chance against Goliath—he’s only a boy and has no experience, whereas Goliath is a trained warrior. In response, David insists that he has experience hunting down lions and bears who steal his sheep, and because nobody else will volunteer, Saul agrees to send him to fight the giant.

Gladwell notes that his book is about “what happens when ordinary people confront giants.” He clarifies that he uses the word “giant” to refer to all forms of power, explaining that the chapters that follow will focus on different people who have taken on seemingly hopeless challenges. With no other choice but to face difficult circumstances, people are forced to ask themselves if they should follow conventional rules or take their own approach—a question that often determines whether or not they’ll continue to endure hardship or simply give up. These stories, Gladwell upholds, will enable him to examine the fact that people tend to value things that arise out of “lopsided conflicts,” since adversity often results in triumph and beauty. 

More importantly, though, Gladwell believes that people tend to misinterpret stories about underdogs facing monumental challenges. He believes that “giants are not what we think they are,” since the aspects of their strength that make them seem so invincible are often the very same qualities that lead to their downfall. What’s more, being an underdog can fundamentally alter the way people approach the world, giving them an outlook that helps them find new ways of tackling old problems.

Returning to the story of David and Goliath, Gladwell explains that Goliath expects to face an opponent in hand-to-hand combat. This, Gladwell notes, was quite common in ancient times, as armies would send just one warrior to settle conflicts to avoid widespread violence. Because of this practice, Goliath thinks he’s going to be challenging his opponent in a context in which he thrives, since he’s strong and skilled in hand-to-hand combat. However, David has something else in mind. Seeing Goliath’s size, he knows he’ll have no chance if he fights on the giant’s terms, so he refuses the armor King Saul offers him, saying he can’t move quickly enough under so much weight. Instead, David simply picks up a handful of stones, running into the valley with nothing but these rocks and his shepherd’s staff.

When he sees David quickly approaching with his staff, Goliath makes fun of him by saying, “Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?” However, David swiftly places a stone in a sling and sends it hurtling toward Goliath, striking him in the forehead. Goliath falls to the ground, at which point David runs to Goliath, picks up his sword, and chops off the giant’s head. When the Philistines see this, they immediately run away. In this instance, Gladwell notes, an underdog bests a giant and seasoned warrior. This, at least, is how people have told the story for hundreds of years, using it to illustrate the idea of “improbable victory.” Gladwell, however, believes this version of the story is almost completely wrong.

Gladwell reviews the different kind of warriors that made up the standard army in ancient times. There were the cavalrymen who rode horseback, the infantrymen who traveled on foot and carried swords, and the slingers who sent projectiles hurtling through the air. Slingers were incredibly accurate, and scholars have determined that their slingshots were as powerful as some modern handguns. Goliath, Gladwell asserts, is an infantryman, and he believes he’s going to fight another infantryman. But David has no reason to abide by the “rituals of single combat.” As a shepherd, he has chased down wild animals, clearly using his impressive slinging skills to stop them. Because of this experience, he is like a military slinger, and he uses this to his advantage.

Calling attention to David’s tactics, Gladwell reminds readers that the young shepherd runs at Goliath—something he’s able to do because he refused to wear heavy armor. Knowing that Goliath is slow and encumbered not only by his own weight, but by his armor, David is confident that the giant won’t even be able to react to the approaching projectile. According to Gladwell, the three categories of soldiers in ancient armies balance each other out: infantry beats cavalry by spearing them off their horses, cavalry beats “projectile warriors” by moving too quickly for them to take proper aim, and slingers beat infantrymen, who are sitting ducks to their dangerous projectiles. Because David is a slinger, Gladwell argues, it makes sense that he beats Goliath. After all, slingers always beat infantrymen.

On the surface, Gladwell says, there’s an obvious lesson inherent to the story of David and Goliath, one that everyone understands—namely, that Goliath and King Saul have a narrow understanding of power, thinking it can’t manifest itself in forms other than strength or size. This is an informative point, but it’s even more important to recognize that everyone but David fails to see Goliath for what he is: although he’s supposed to be a celebrated warrior, he needs a servant to walk in front of him while carrying his shield. He also calls out to David before the battle, saying, “Come to me.” Along with the fact that Goliath apparently needs a guide, this suggests that he finds physical movement cumbersome. Even though everyone thinks of him as a capable warrior, then, he seems to lack the physical prowess to engage in agile confrontations.

Gladwell points out that Goliath sees David approaching with his staff and asks why he brought “sticks”—multiple sticks—which, given that David seemingly only brings one stick, could perhaps suggest that Goliath is visually impaired. Medical scholars have suggested that Goliath may have had a tumor on his pituitary gland. People with this condition grow far beyond average. And because the tumor can press down on optic nerves, people suffering from this condition often have vision problems. With this in mind, Gladwell suggests that Goliath is unable to accurately judge David because of his pituitary tumor, meaning that the very thing that made him so large in the first place actually puts him at a disadvantage, rendering him incapable of seeing his opponent. And even if Goliath could properly see David, he’s too slow and weighed down to react quickly enough. Gladwell believes that this fact contains a worthwhile lesson, which is that “the powerful and the strong are not always what they seem.”