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André Trocmé
King Saul is the leader of the Israelites in the biblical story of David and Goliath. When David volunteers to fight Goliath, Saul tries to dissuade him, pointing out that David is not only too small to face such a large person, but that he’s also untrained in battle. However, because nobody else will agree to fight Goliath, Saul agrees to send David. In his analysis of the story, Gladwell uses King Saul as an example of somebody who thinks power only comes in the forms of strength and size, proving that many people cling to convention and overlook the many ways in which other qualities can be advantageous.
King Saul Quotes in David and Goliath
The David and Goliath quotes below are all either spoken by King Saul or refer to King Saul. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Introduction: Goliath
Quotes
On one level, the duel reveals the folly of our assumptions about power. The reason King Saul is skeptical of David’s chances is that David is small and Goliath is large. Saul thinks of power in terms of physical might. He doesn’t appreciate that power can come in other forms as well—in breaking rules, in substituting speed and surprise for strength. Saul is not alone in making this mistake.
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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King Saul Quotes in David and Goliath
The David and Goliath quotes below are all either spoken by King Saul or refer to King Saul. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Introduction: Goliath
Quotes
On one level, the duel reveals the folly of our assumptions about power. The reason King Saul is skeptical of David’s chances is that David is small and Goliath is large. Saul thinks of power in terms of physical might. He doesn’t appreciate that power can come in other forms as well—in breaking rules, in substituting speed and surprise for strength. Saul is not alone in making this mistake.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
