Malcolm Gladwell's David And Goliath

In Chapter Three of Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath, Gladwell claims that it is more exceptional to be a big fish in a small pond than to be a small fish in the ocean, and demonstrates this concept by explaining how a group of artists defy the rules of society, the struggles of the university decision-making process for an above-average student and the how a country identifies themselves impacts the citizens self-esteem. One hundred and fifty years ago, when France was at the center of the art culture, a group of painters decided not to pursue “the traditional” route of art, by not “submitting their art” to the very elite Salon, but founded “their own exhibit", and as a result, they were “a much bigger success” (64). The Impressionists defied the officially defined boundaries
At the other end of the spectrum, Caroline Sacks, an “above-average high schooler”, chooses to attend Brown University over the University of Maryland, as it carried “more prestige in the name”, but as a result, was not able to “pursue her preferable career”, in science, because she became overwhelmed with the pressure of “not understanding the material” as well as her peers (72). Sacks’ scenario is all too familiar as it portrays how most parents want their children to attend over-competitive boarding schools to help fulfill and maximize their potential. However, a prestigious name does not by itself deliver on a dream, resulting in many individuals loosing hope on their destined profession, as they all are “small fish” competing for the same “big dream”. Furthermore, many countries who “declare themselves as happy”, such as Denmark and Canada, have a “higher suicide rate” than countries like Greece and Spain, whose citizens “describe themselves as unhappy”