The staggering underdog feat of 2022 involved Volodymyr Zelensky, who faced down a nuclear-armed invader with a smartphone, rhetoric and guts
, meanwhile, the sinking of a superyacht turned a minion with survival skills into an overlord.
The other underdog habitat—as always and everywhere—was the family. “Bad Sisters” depicted an abused wife and her officious siblings. A musical adaptation of, Roald Dahl’s underdog revenge fantasy, is out soon on Netflix. True, Matilda has magic powers that most underdogs lack. But she is also a classic product of what psychologists have called “desirable difficulties”.
Riffing on that idea, in his book “David and Goliath” Malcolm Gladwell explores how childhood hardships can sometimes nurture resilience and ingenuity, leading the Matildas of the world to outperform gifted peers who “inherited an excessive amount of psychological health”. The underdog, observes Mr Gladwell, may be liberated by having nothing to lose. “It really don’t matter,” Rocky says of his expected thrashing. “I was nobody before.
It is not just the ride from the bottom to the top, wilder and more exhilarating than shorter ascents, that makes these stories so rousing. Underdog heroes and heroines do not merely surmount obstacles or defeat adversaries. The best and most moving beat a whole rotten system. They hold out hope that might—or reputation, power and influence—will not always prevail; that even if the rules are rigged, the game can still be won. They suggest life is not predetermined. They make their own fate.
To put all that another way: in the end, the loan shark is wrong about Rocky. His story is not about luck; it is about justice. The most inspiring underdogs get only what they deserve. All they needed was a break.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fifteen notable lives lost in 2022Death is the great equaliser, and at The Economist a single page serves both monarch and commoner, famous and unknown
Read more »
World Cup 2022: Elation in Argentina, sorrow in France - fans reactThe party has only just started in Buenos Aires, but in Paris the crowds have already gone home.
Read more »
Year in review: top 10 houses of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* architecture editor Ellie StathakiWallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki reveals her top 10 houses of 2022 – from modernist reinventions to urban extensions and idyllic retreats
Read more »
Hamza Yassin still in total disbelief over winning Strictly 2022Hamza Yassin is still coming to terms with his Strictly Come Dancing 2022 victory 🌟✨
Read more »
Here's Our Verdict On All The New Christmas Songs Released In 2022Featuring new music from Sam Smith and Lizzo – plus the musical comeback of a certain Ms Lohan.
Read more »
Best Strategy Game 2022: Total War: Warhammer 3Total War: Warhammer 3 is our favourite strategy game of the year 🏆 CAGames totalwar
Read more »