We all know about the “Napoleon complex.” The idea is that small creatures, whether humans or Pomeranians, often compensate for their larger size by acting as if they are much larger. At the same time, we root for the underdog and like David to Goliath, we hope that those who were considered small or weak will prove to be stronger. Call it the “David complex.”
“Less is more” and “Small is beautiful” are today’s slogans. Taken out of context, St. Paul’s remark, “When I am weak, then I am strong,” could be a fitting epitaph for Malcolm Gladwell and, according to him, the Biblical David.
in seven new york times It became a bestseller in North America, selling 23 million copies, and Gladwell founded Pushkin Industries to further increase sales. A champion of underdogs and positive thinking, Gladwell has built a career on questioning assumptions and leveraging conventional wisdom, presenting widely accepted assumptions as incisive discoveries. on his chartbuster david and goliathhe redeploys an old moral: small and weak-looking David defeats the mighty Goliath — that the small can triumph over the big, that a disadvantage can turn into an advantage, even if Showing that a little can go a long way (as evidenced by the book’s $11.2 million in sales) so far? ). Shallow becomes deep. In his latest book, Gladwell hopes to please his critics with another sharp discovery. “The reason we are now reluctant to accept the simple solutions offered by tipping points is that, in the end, the solutions are not really that simple.”
The famous story of David and Goliath raises questions about how we think about David, if not a turning point. Michelangelo provides an excellent example in his masterpiece, the sculpture of David. Even with the fig leaves attached (as in the Victorian replica), the viewer doesn’t stop staring. True to Renaissance ideals, this statue celebrates masculine beauty and superiority. The 17-foot-tall sculpture is very different from the typical image of David. Some scholars argue that this derives from the nuance of the Hebrew word “nar” in the text, meaning young man or man of fighting age.
In any case, David was not helpless. He fought Goliath because he was strong, not because he was capable of it. He spoke as if he was expecting divine intervention to save the day, but God’s power rests on his own ingenuity and resourcefulness. His success came by deceiving the giant and utilizing an unexpected weapon: a “harmless” shepherd’s sling. His victory was not in exploiting weakness, but in channeling strength. A skilled stone thrower can throw stones between 80 and 160 miles per hour.
Friedrich Nietzsche often criticized his own misconceptions and praised strength as a source of compassion, calling it “the virtue of bestowing.” Nietzsche praised Jesus, “the last Christian,” who spoke of loving your neighbor as yourself. We can’t give what we don’t have. True strength allows us to have compassion even from a position of power, rather than weakness or neediness.
Excessive pride should be reflected on more than humility. Those who need humility the most are often the ones who pride themselves on having it. One former president claims he’s “much more humble than you realize.”
What I interpret as Nietzsche’s concept of “holy egoism” is overcoming the false humility and pride born of resentment with a kind of pride that inspires generosity. What we own and achieve comes back to others as a gift. In contrast, a lack of pride indicates selfishness. Instead of giving and resenting what you can’t have, it hoards.
Sir Edmund Hillary, who became the first to climb Mount Everest, said: “This is not a mountain we conquer, it is ourselves,” adding that he could not have climbed it without a Sherpa guide. Hillary’s “endowment of virtue” led him to dedicate his life to building schools, hospitals, and infrastructure for the Sherpa community.
We are all facing our own Goliaths and Everests, and along the way we may end up relying on even more Sherpas as much as they rely on us. we belong together. Strong and beautiful David made a grave mistake and was faced with guilt and despair. But it suggests that, despite our shortcomings and failures, we too have a power greater than undoing and deserve the support it evokes. A real “David complex” will serve us well.
notes and reading
michelangelo sculpture david It was completed in secret until January 1504. 6 tons It took 40 men four days to complete the statue, which is located less than a mile from the center of Florence. Today, despite war and looting, it remains as imposing as ever.
Madame Swettin – Anne-Sophie Soimonov (1782-1857), a Russian aristocrat who took her husband’s surname, converted to Roman Catholicism, and settled in Paris. Known for its mysticism and salons, it hosted figures such as Tocqueville and Chateaubriand. Swechne’s strength lay in her engaging dialogue, but her writing was limited. — Mrs. Swetchin’s writings (1869, 2009), XXXIII, 63.
“When I am weak, I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10.
david and goliath – 1 Samuel 17. Translation and commentary by Robert Alter. david’s story (1999) 107-111 is particularly useful. sling – JSTOR and Wikipedia article.
Malcolm Gladwell – David and Goliath: How to fight the weak, the misfits, and the giants. (2013), and Revenge of the Tipping Point (2024). – These books remind us of a much scarier and simpler person: Yuval Noah Harari (Complete History of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humanityetc.).
Friedrich Nietzsche – Portable Nietzsche (1977), editor and translator and influential Nietzsche scholar Walter Kaufmann writes, “Ignoring the humor, irony, and self-parody in Nietzsche’s works can lead to a misunderstanding of his philosophy.” ” — Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist4th edition (2013) with foreword by Alexander Nehamas, Part IV Synopsis: Nietzsche sees Jesus as a figure who embodies love, the affirmation of life, and the rejection of resentment, which he brings to Paul and institutional Christianity. in sharp contrast to the criticism of
Sir Edmund Hillary – Excerpt from online View from the summit: A remarkable memoir by the first man to conquer Everest (Corgi Books, 1999). The price of this book is prohibitively high.
[After following the self-help industry, Byron Katie stands out, starting with Loving What Is (2002). She offers practical ways to accept life as it is, including mundane demands, without resorting to “positive thinking” or trading on weakness. Katie, married to poet and scholar Stephen Mitchell, has collaborated with him on works such as A Thousand Names for Joy, which blends her teachings with his interpretations of Taoist philosophy.]
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