Advantages and Disadvantages Are Determined by Perception
Playing by different rules:
Political scientist, Ivan Arreguin-Toft has analyzed every war in the past 200 years fought by strong and weak opponents
The “Goliaths” were at least 10x as powerful as their counterparts
Goliaths won 71.5% of the time
Against armies that were much larger and better equipped: Underdogs won nearly ⅓ of the time
What happens when smaller armies change the rules and fight unconventionally?
Re-analyzation reveals those armies went from winning 28.5% to 63.6%
Changing the rules changes the outcome
Our logic is crazy:
In unbalanced fights we have the powerhouse and the underdog
Conventional logic says the powerhouse has all the advantages
Is this true or is it our perception of what advantages are?
Are we all crazy? (Examples of bizarre logic)
Sports:
Athletes do everything they can get away with to create an advantage
Alex Rodriguez used testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone,
was blacklisted for life
completely destroyed his career and credibility
Lance Armstrong, seemingly superhuman cyclist, re-injected his own blood
was stripped of 7 Tour de France titles
AND YET
One third of current pro baseball pitchers have had “Tommy John Surgery”
1974: Dr. Frank Jobe pioneered this surgery on pitcher, Tommy Jones
The now popular surgery involves taking a ligament from another part of the body, or from a cadaver, and transplanting it into the pitching arm
The transplant can repair a damaged pitching arm or can potentially improve pitching skills
And THIS is perfectly legal and applauded.
Dr. Jobe is now honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame
Are underdogs really disadvantaged?
The classic story of “underdog” vs. “powerhouse” is the story of David and Goliath
Most people tell the story that David, a small boy, faced a giant
Many estimate Goliath to have been over 9ft tall
Goliath had superior armor
David wore none because it was too heavy
Goliath was a seasoned warrior
David was a young shepherd
Goliath had a sword and shield
David had a slingshot and 5 stones
What we don’t take into account:
The Weapon:
Slings and stones were commonly used in battle during this period of history
Skilled slingers were a vital part of an army’s makeup
Good slingers could hit a target as accurately and as far as a good archer
Sometimes up to 440 yards (quarter of a mile)
Archers practice at 200 yards
Depending on the size of the stone, David’s stone could have hit Goliath with as much force as a 45 caliber handgun
The Giant:
Goliath’s size may have been his weakness; not his strength
Many historians and neurologists believe Goliath suffered from acromegaly (“Giantism”)
This disease causes overproduction of growth hormones in the pituitary gland
Sufferers also have issues with circulation, respiration, and vision
It is likely that Goliath, while big and strong, did not match David’s ability
The Game Changer:
Goliath was waiting for a conventional fight
his mere mass would have been overwhelming
Instead, he was rushed by a quick young man with a slingshot
Changing the rules gave David an easy advantage.
When advantages could be our downfall
Many argue that too much money could affect quality of life
There are many kinds of things that are best learned through adversity
Innovation
Creativity
Value of perseverance
Gratitude
Sense of accomplishment
Self-worth
What is an advantage or a disadvantage? Change outcome by changing the perception.
Sources:
http://www.newyorker.com/
http://myllu.llu.edu/
http://christiananswers.net/
http://www.livescience.com/
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