David and Goliath by Mlacolm Gladwell:

Based on Chaper 5 of David and Goliath by Mlacolm Gladwell:

In chapter 5 of David and Goliath, Gladwell tells us that in order for society to advance, we “need people who have emerged from some kind of trauma” – the remote misses that give people like Dr. Freireich, Pastor Shuttlesworth, and the survivors of the London blitz a feeling of invincibility.

But Gladwell also reminds us of this unfortunate fact: “For every remote miss who becomes stronger, there are countless near misses who are crushed by what they have been through.”

What becomes of these near misses? They clearly don’t go on to great things, and is that fair? When we get remote misses, we get excellence. When we get near misses, we get people who have a hard time coping with everyday life. Some people have horrible childhoods, realize they can get through those years, and go on to cure childhood cancer. Other people have horrible childhoods, struggle through those years and beyond, and end up in prison.

Is this a fair trade off? Is it a necessary sacrifice? Do you think Jay Freireich would have been so determined to find a cure for childhood cancer at any costs if he had the benefit of a less traumatic upbringing? Why or why not?

In your response, please be sure to use a meaningful quote from the chapter. You may frame it using one of Birkenstein and Graff’s templates from the TS/IS chapter you read for today, or you can use your own words.