Underdogs, Misfits, David and Goliath- Quotes, Questions and Comments
I must admit, Malcolm Gladwell has the ability to hijack minds. His ability to draw parallels between the narratives is commendable.
He nails the story of David and Goliath in human minds. He has ensured he makes me understand the resurgence of power in humans.
I see so many students in our classrooms who show immense disagreement to whatever we intend to do with them. They appear to be
misfits in the system. I now understand why they are able to perform in other schools. Maybe they are the big fishes in small ponds.
“Come to me, that I may give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,”
I have seen this scenario in our classrooms when we see students who are misfits in classrooms and they kind of challenge teachers in the
classrooms through their behaviour. I'm sure each one of us faces this dilemma...
Should I play by the rules or follow my own instincts? Shall I persevere or give up? Should I strike back or forgive? It is at this moment we
need to be in disagreement with ourselves and give ourselves some time. We need to use the full basketball court and respond differently
than what these students are expecting us to do. I completely agree with the line the
the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. We consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong. We misread them.
We misinterpret them. Giants are not what we think they are.The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources
of great weakness.
These learners through their behaviour want to find chances to let us know that they need help. Their disagreement or misbehaviour is a
sign of 'I need help'/ ' I need your attention'. It is at this moment I as a teacher need to activate my centers where whatever I learnt during
my psychology lessons I need to make use of it and not act like an equal. I need to respond differently. Use a superior weapon!
I quite liked the way Gladwell has narrated the incident of research based facts when small class size can be an advantage and a
disadvantage both. Unless we teachers understand the need of changing strategies for teaching classes, performance does not improve.
The use of graphical representation to nail a point in our minds is a skill worth emulating. Yes I agree to the fact that Underdog strategies
are hard but not impossible. As a child I stammered. I wrote mirror letters. I needed to learn the strategies which could help me overcome
these deficiencies. My teachers helped me do so. Mountain climbing, rock climbing, river crossing and several such exercises helped me
overcome fear and gradually I began to see the change in me. I am now able to speak to audiences.
Randive's strategy makes me believe in the fact that working on weaknesses is not a bad idea but at the same time if we provide an
opportunity to our learners to maximize their strengths through strategies that they feel comfortable to learn in classrooms, it often times
gives individuals their identity and boosts their confidence and this helps them to work on their weaknesses too!
If only our differently abled students can be trained to perform the routine tasks and gain functional literacy in areas which can help them
manage their lives, that is enough. We as teachers need to acknowledge that each learner is different and unique and can experience
success in areas which they can excel in!
Like David Boies's case people may say it is undesirable way to do schooling, but it is functional for many.. I guess this is what
customization is all about..maybe..
What taking notes meant for many was equal to being an active listener for David Boies. He was able to learn more about law cases just
by listening. Different strategies work for different people, I am sure this is what differentiation is.
In the movie 3 Idiots, we still blabber Rancho's dialogues- Success ke piche mat bhago, excellence ke peeche bhago, success khud ba khud
tumhare piche aayegi. Rancho being a misfit, and that gave him the freedom to try things that no one else had tried before.
It has been many years being an educator with TGES now, I come across students who come to meet me and amongst those, I come across
those who were once upon a time weak in academics are quite successful in their careers, they have many men working for them. Perhaps
aspects of performance important in real life are not being emphasized or measured in school, and some students do well later in life
because these different forms of learning are emphasized and valued in their chosen careers. This aspect many a times creates a feeling of
acceptance for all differently abled learners and forces me to explore their talent in different areas. When I graduated with Electronics
and joined, seldom did I find utility of what I learnt. When I reflect back on my years, I do see a connection and I would like to contradict
my own statement, I have been able to bring connections and help in completing the circuits within my learners. This aspect was never
measured and emphasized in school but is valued in my chosen career as an educator.
There are learners who defy authority of teachers in the class and are often fall into category of being
disagreeable in the class, I wonder if these are the potential risk takers, innovators of the society who
need to channelize their potential in different areas, perhaps they are viewing the world from a different
perspective.
You know what it’s like, you’re a six- or seven- or eight year-old kid, and you’re in a public school setting, and everyone thinks you’re an idiot,
so you try to do funny things to try to create some social esteem. Better to play the clown than to
be thought of as an idiot.
So many in the class...how difficult it would be to fend themselves and come to school the following day with an upright face...
Outliers are often able to develop skills which otherwise may have lain dormant.
We all want a physician who doesn’t give up and who doesn’t lose hope. But we also want a physician who can stand in our shoes and
understand what we are feeling. We want to be treated with dignity, and treating people with dignity requires empathy.
If this is true how can we as teachers give up on our learners.!
As an educator, I need to empathize, I need to read /seek help and find ways to see how to treat my patients (differently abled learners) !
I cannot sound depressed and communicate no hope to the parents of my learners. As an advisor, I need to be able to give different
options to my learners to explore ways in which they can succeed. I understand the need of giving informed choices. I know I need to keep
myself updated with the nuances of this profession !
“The idea that some people could be successful without parents is a very threatening concept because the common idea is that parents
help you. Parents are essential to your life.”
The fact that I need to know the background of my learners is made so very clear in Jay Freireich case..The advisor's role is so very
profound..
We are all of us not merely liable to fear, we are also prone to be afraid of being afraid, and the conquering of fear produces exhilaration.…
When we have been afraid that we may panic in an air raid, and, when it has happened, we have exhibited to others nothing but a calm
exterior and we are now safe, the contrast between the previous apprehension and the present relief and feeling of security promotes a
self-confidence that is the very father and mother of courage.
This is what exactly the problem solvers would be able to do when they come across situations which are frightening which give them the
courage to try differently.
This is exactly what we feel when we get inside water to swim for the first time or the first time we set out to ride a bicycle, the fact that we live through this fear and find out ways to accommodate the apprehensions and learn to live with them makes us courageous.
We need diverse learners in our classrooms for each one to learn from another. That is why the most preferred is the mixed ability classrooms and the fact that we all know inclusion in our classrooms give room for all to learn from another..
King was a moral absolutist who did not stray from his principles even when under attack. Walker liked to call himself a pragmatist.
Simple things like following traffic rules and not using wrong side while moving on roads for our personal benefits in itself is seldom to be
seen. It is difficult job of a teacher to teach not to lie and when a child at home is asked to respond to a phone call by saying my father/
mother is not at home. I understand how difficult it becomes for a child to accommodate and then act immorally. How important is a
advisor's role in teaching morality in classrooms through lesson plans! It is during these moments that we need to teach the child to be a
moral absolutist...stick to principles even under pressing conditions. It is the right time to change the gene...
What they did is not “right,” just as it is not “right” to send children up against police dogs. But we need to remember that our definition
of what is right is, as often as not, simply the way that people in positions of privilege close the door on those on the outside. David has
nothing to lose, and because he has nothing to lose, he has the freedom to thumb his nose at the rules set by others. That’s how people
with brains a little bit different from the rest of ours get jobs as options traders and Hollywood producers—and a small band of protesters
armed with nothing but their wits have a chance against the likes of Bull Connor.
I'm sure this is what the freedom fighters would have felt when they were seeking freedom for Indians!
“Back then, even first-degree murder was just sixteen years, and you’d do eight,” Mike Reynolds explained. He was describing California before his Three
Strikes revolution. “It became a very viable option to go into the crime business. The human psyche follows the course of least resistance.
The course of least resistance is what’s easy, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to go out and rob and steal and suck drugs than it is to go out and
bust your ass forty hours a week and punch in on a job and take a lot of shit off customers. Who needs that? I can go out there and wave
a gun around and make as much as I want as fast as I want, and if I get caught, ninety-five percent of all cases get plea-bargained down.
They charge me with this, I’ll admit to that, and so let’s make a deal. And then third, I’m going to only serve half the time. Weigh all three,
the odds are you’re going to do one hell of a lot of crime before you ever in fact get caught and prosecuted.”
I do agree to the fact that human psyche follows the course of least resistance. Hence the role of parents/advisors in giving the right kind
of experiences to their wards is of utmost importance.
Giving disrespect matters...he deserved as he held a gun to her head and grabbed at her purse.
It becomes so important for individuals to understand what triggers anger within human minds. If only we can capture such moments
can we understand the need of learning how to deal with these adversities.
In case of Boies, Martin Luther King and other characters mentioned in this book, there is one thing common in all is the trait of being resilient.
Following ideas have been taken from the article which I read on Road to Resilience and I see some connections to what Malcolm Gladwell
writes...
Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family
and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stress. It means "bouncing back" from difficult
experiences.
Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. People commonly demonstrate resilience. One example is the response
of people during the earthquake as a community to stay together and help each other in difficult times.
Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn't experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people
who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives. In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress.
Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and
developed in anyone.
In case of Jay Friedrich, he had a supporting caring relationship with his wife who believed in him.
This safety net allowed Jay to develop the capacity to make realistic plans and take baby steps, experiment and
come out with alternatives to deal with cancer patients.
Developing resilience is a personal journey. People do not all react the same to traumatic and stressful life events. An approach to building
resilience that works for one person might not work for another. People use varying strategies.
Wilma Derkson chose to look at her friend and give direction to her anger. She understood certain goals can no longer be attainable as a
result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that could not be changed helped her focus on her friendship, her marriage and
most of all her sanity. She chose to move away from the promise of power to find strength to forgive.
This means if people can be taught how to deal with difficult situations there are chances of people being able to bounce back and be
effective contributors to the society at large.
He nails the story of David and Goliath in human minds. He has ensured he makes me understand the resurgence of power in humans.
I see so many students in our classrooms who show immense disagreement to whatever we intend to do with them. They appear to be
misfits in the system. I now understand why they are able to perform in other schools. Maybe they are the big fishes in small ponds.
“Come to me, that I may give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,”
I have seen this scenario in our classrooms when we see students who are misfits in classrooms and they kind of challenge teachers in the
classrooms through their behaviour. I'm sure each one of us faces this dilemma...
Should I play by the rules or follow my own instincts? Shall I persevere or give up? Should I strike back or forgive? It is at this moment we
need to be in disagreement with ourselves and give ourselves some time. We need to use the full basketball court and respond differently
than what these students are expecting us to do. I completely agree with the line the
the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. We consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong. We misread them.
We misinterpret them. Giants are not what we think they are.The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources
of great weakness.
These learners through their behaviour want to find chances to let us know that they need help. Their disagreement or misbehaviour is a
sign of 'I need help'/ ' I need your attention'. It is at this moment I as a teacher need to activate my centers where whatever I learnt during
my psychology lessons I need to make use of it and not act like an equal. I need to respond differently. Use a superior weapon!
I quite liked the way Gladwell has narrated the incident of research based facts when small class size can be an advantage and a
disadvantage both. Unless we teachers understand the need of changing strategies for teaching classes, performance does not improve.
The use of graphical representation to nail a point in our minds is a skill worth emulating. Yes I agree to the fact that Underdog strategies
are hard but not impossible. As a child I stammered. I wrote mirror letters. I needed to learn the strategies which could help me overcome
these deficiencies. My teachers helped me do so. Mountain climbing, rock climbing, river crossing and several such exercises helped me
overcome fear and gradually I began to see the change in me. I am now able to speak to audiences.
Randive's strategy makes me believe in the fact that working on weaknesses is not a bad idea but at the same time if we provide an
opportunity to our learners to maximize their strengths through strategies that they feel comfortable to learn in classrooms, it often times
gives individuals their identity and boosts their confidence and this helps them to work on their weaknesses too!
If only our differently abled students can be trained to perform the routine tasks and gain functional literacy in areas which can help them
manage their lives, that is enough. We as teachers need to acknowledge that each learner is different and unique and can experience
success in areas which they can excel in!
Like David Boies's case people may say it is undesirable way to do schooling, but it is functional for many.. I guess this is what
customization is all about..maybe..
What taking notes meant for many was equal to being an active listener for David Boies. He was able to learn more about law cases just
by listening. Different strategies work for different people, I am sure this is what differentiation is.
In the movie 3 Idiots, we still blabber Rancho's dialogues- Success ke piche mat bhago, excellence ke peeche bhago, success khud ba khud
tumhare piche aayegi. Rancho being a misfit, and that gave him the freedom to try things that no one else had tried before.
It has been many years being an educator with TGES now, I come across students who come to meet me and amongst those, I come across
those who were once upon a time weak in academics are quite successful in their careers, they have many men working for them. Perhaps
aspects of performance important in real life are not being emphasized or measured in school, and some students do well later in life
because these different forms of learning are emphasized and valued in their chosen careers. This aspect many a times creates a feeling of
acceptance for all differently abled learners and forces me to explore their talent in different areas. When I graduated with Electronics
and joined, seldom did I find utility of what I learnt. When I reflect back on my years, I do see a connection and I would like to contradict
my own statement, I have been able to bring connections and help in completing the circuits within my learners. This aspect was never
measured and emphasized in school but is valued in my chosen career as an educator.
There are learners who defy authority of teachers in the class and are often fall into category of being
disagreeable in the class, I wonder if these are the potential risk takers, innovators of the society who
need to channelize their potential in different areas, perhaps they are viewing the world from a different
perspective.
You know what it’s like, you’re a six- or seven- or eight year-old kid, and you’re in a public school setting, and everyone thinks you’re an idiot,
so you try to do funny things to try to create some social esteem. Better to play the clown than to
be thought of as an idiot.
So many in the class...how difficult it would be to fend themselves and come to school the following day with an upright face...
Outliers are often able to develop skills which otherwise may have lain dormant.
We all want a physician who doesn’t give up and who doesn’t lose hope. But we also want a physician who can stand in our shoes and
understand what we are feeling. We want to be treated with dignity, and treating people with dignity requires empathy.
If this is true how can we as teachers give up on our learners.!
As an educator, I need to empathize, I need to read /seek help and find ways to see how to treat my patients (differently abled learners) !
I cannot sound depressed and communicate no hope to the parents of my learners. As an advisor, I need to be able to give different
options to my learners to explore ways in which they can succeed. I understand the need of giving informed choices. I know I need to keep
myself updated with the nuances of this profession !
“The idea that some people could be successful without parents is a very threatening concept because the common idea is that parents
help you. Parents are essential to your life.”
The fact that I need to know the background of my learners is made so very clear in Jay Freireich case..The advisor's role is so very
profound..
We are all of us not merely liable to fear, we are also prone to be afraid of being afraid, and the conquering of fear produces exhilaration.…
When we have been afraid that we may panic in an air raid, and, when it has happened, we have exhibited to others nothing but a calm
exterior and we are now safe, the contrast between the previous apprehension and the present relief and feeling of security promotes a
self-confidence that is the very father and mother of courage.
This is what exactly the problem solvers would be able to do when they come across situations which are frightening which give them the
courage to try differently.
This is exactly what we feel when we get inside water to swim for the first time or the first time we set out to ride a bicycle, the fact that we live through this fear and find out ways to accommodate the apprehensions and learn to live with them makes us courageous.
We need diverse learners in our classrooms for each one to learn from another. That is why the most preferred is the mixed ability classrooms and the fact that we all know inclusion in our classrooms give room for all to learn from another..
King was a moral absolutist who did not stray from his principles even when under attack. Walker liked to call himself a pragmatist.
Simple things like following traffic rules and not using wrong side while moving on roads for our personal benefits in itself is seldom to be
seen. It is difficult job of a teacher to teach not to lie and when a child at home is asked to respond to a phone call by saying my father/
mother is not at home. I understand how difficult it becomes for a child to accommodate and then act immorally. How important is a
advisor's role in teaching morality in classrooms through lesson plans! It is during these moments that we need to teach the child to be a
moral absolutist...stick to principles even under pressing conditions. It is the right time to change the gene...
What they did is not “right,” just as it is not “right” to send children up against police dogs. But we need to remember that our definition
of what is right is, as often as not, simply the way that people in positions of privilege close the door on those on the outside. David has
nothing to lose, and because he has nothing to lose, he has the freedom to thumb his nose at the rules set by others. That’s how people
with brains a little bit different from the rest of ours get jobs as options traders and Hollywood producers—and a small band of protesters
armed with nothing but their wits have a chance against the likes of Bull Connor.
I'm sure this is what the freedom fighters would have felt when they were seeking freedom for Indians!
“Back then, even first-degree murder was just sixteen years, and you’d do eight,” Mike Reynolds explained. He was describing California before his Three
Strikes revolution. “It became a very viable option to go into the crime business. The human psyche follows the course of least resistance.
The course of least resistance is what’s easy, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to go out and rob and steal and suck drugs than it is to go out and
bust your ass forty hours a week and punch in on a job and take a lot of shit off customers. Who needs that? I can go out there and wave
a gun around and make as much as I want as fast as I want, and if I get caught, ninety-five percent of all cases get plea-bargained down.
They charge me with this, I’ll admit to that, and so let’s make a deal. And then third, I’m going to only serve half the time. Weigh all three,
the odds are you’re going to do one hell of a lot of crime before you ever in fact get caught and prosecuted.”
I do agree to the fact that human psyche follows the course of least resistance. Hence the role of parents/advisors in giving the right kind
of experiences to their wards is of utmost importance.
Giving disrespect matters...he deserved as he held a gun to her head and grabbed at her purse.
It becomes so important for individuals to understand what triggers anger within human minds. If only we can capture such moments
can we understand the need of learning how to deal with these adversities.
In case of Boies, Martin Luther King and other characters mentioned in this book, there is one thing common in all is the trait of being resilient.
Following ideas have been taken from the article which I read on Road to Resilience and I see some connections to what Malcolm Gladwell
writes...
Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family
and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stress. It means "bouncing back" from difficult
experiences.
Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. People commonly demonstrate resilience. One example is the response
of people during the earthquake as a community to stay together and help each other in difficult times.
Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn't experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people
who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives. In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress.
Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and
developed in anyone.
In case of Jay Friedrich, he had a supporting caring relationship with his wife who believed in him.
This safety net allowed Jay to develop the capacity to make realistic plans and take baby steps, experiment and
come out with alternatives to deal with cancer patients.
Developing resilience is a personal journey. People do not all react the same to traumatic and stressful life events. An approach to building
resilience that works for one person might not work for another. People use varying strategies.
Wilma Derkson chose to look at her friend and give direction to her anger. She understood certain goals can no longer be attainable as a
result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that could not be changed helped her focus on her friendship, her marriage and
most of all her sanity. She chose to move away from the promise of power to find strength to forgive.
This means if people can be taught how to deal with difficult situations there are chances of people being able to bounce back and be
effective contributors to the society at large.