--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all assume that if you're weak and…" description: "\"We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of examples where the exact opposite happens, wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png" --- # We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never… ![“We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of examples where the exact opposite happens, where the weak win and the strong screw up.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png) > “We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of examples where the exact opposite happens, where the weak win and the strong screw up.” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Weakness and poverty do not preclude success; many examples show the opposite. **In simple terms:** Weak can succeed despite poverty. Key Takeaway Recognize potential in unlikely places. Themes success inequality resilience social mobility Mood inspirational hopeful Type motivational sociological When to use this quote - career advancement - sports competition - entrepreneurial ventures - educational opportunities Key Concepts underdog phenomenon systemic barriers psychology of achievement Questions to Reflect On - What factors enable the weak to win? - How can societies support underdogs? A Different Perspective Success stories may be exceptions, not norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) [Assume Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-weak-474464/) [Exact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exact/) [Exact opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exact-opposite/) [Examples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examples/) [Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Full](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Happens Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-weak-474466/) [In fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-fact/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Screw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screw/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [The real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-real-world/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) [Weak Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-poor-474463/) [Weak Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-win-474465/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) [Win Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-strong-474467/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [People will always assume you are weak until you show them you are strong. Never back down, never give up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-will-always-assume-you-are-weak-until-you-show-them-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can win with strong players, but you cannot win with angels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-mancini/you-can-win-with-strong-players-but-you-cannot-win-with-angels/) [Roberto Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-mancini/) > [Strong beliefs win strong men, and then make them stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/strong-beliefs-win-strong-men-and-then-make-them-stronger/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [As the condition of America and the world degenerates, it is we who are the weak or the poor or the ignorant who feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/as-the-condition-of-america-and-the-world-degenerates-it-is-we-who/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [However weak we are, however poor, however little our faith, or however small our grace may be, our names are still written on His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/however-weak-we-are-however-poor-however-little-our-faith-or-however/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Is this wide world not large enough to fill thee,Nor Nature, nor that deep man's Nature, Art?Are they too thin, too weak and poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-coleridge/is-this-wide-world-not-large-enough-to-fill-thee-nor-nature-nor-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-coleridge/) > [Government exists to defend the weak and the poor and the injured party; the rich and the strong can better take care of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/government-exists-to-defend-the-weak-and-the-poor-and-the-injured/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [For the criminal who is weak and poor the narrow cell of death awaits; but honor and glory await the rich who conceal their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/for-the-criminal-who-is-weak-and-poor-the-narrow-cell-of-death-awaits/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [The greatest step forward in human evolution was made when society began to help the weak and the poor, instead of oppressing and despising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-greatest-step-forward-in-human-evolution-was-made-when-society/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [I have the exact opposite problem of every writer I've ever met: Every writer I've ever met writes things that are too long, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-have-the-exact-opposite-problem-of-every-writer-i-ve-ever-met-every/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Hip-hop is all about impact, baby. You can sell records, you can be two-times platinum, you can be gold... but if you lame, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/hip-hop-is-all-about-impact-baby-you-can-sell-records-you-can-be-two/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [Lying, cheating, hiding is the exact opposite of the behavior of a man who's really into you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-behrendt/lying-cheating-hiding-is-the-exact-opposite-of-the-behavior-of-a-man/) [Greg Behrendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-behrendt/) > [I can never predict what the markets will do. Sometimes it does the exact opposite of what I would have expected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-can-never-predict-what-the-markets-will-do-sometimes-it-does-the/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Nine times out of 10, the most charming thing to say in any given situation will be the exact opposite of what one really feels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/nine-times-out-of-10-the-most-charming-thing-to-say-in-any-given/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. An English public school is private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/in-the-u-s-the-term-general-aviation-means-its-exact-opposite-the-way/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) > [Nobody really knows everything, and they can only assume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/nobody-really-knows-everything-and-they-can-only-assume/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/partisanship-is-our-great-curse-we-too-readily-assume-that-everything/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [“I just mean, sometimes two people do something unexpected and then by that simple act alone, it just seems they automatically assume it's now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-amo/i-just-mean-sometimes-two-people-do-something-unexpected-and-then-by/) [Thomas Amo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-amo/) > [I think that we have a number of different health care challenges in our country, and certainly addressing the uninsured is one, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/i-think-that-we-have-a-number-of-different-health-care-challenges-in/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Is it philosophical, is it quite allowable, to assume without evidence from fossil plants that the family or any of the genera was once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/is-it-philosophical-is-it-quite-allowable-to-assume-without-evidence/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [You can never assume that something is going to do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/you-can-never-assume-that-something-is-going-to-do-well/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Browse all 542 Assume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of examples where the exact opposite happens, where the weak win and the strong screw up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-poor-you-re-never-going-to-win/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assume" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-poor-you-re-never-going-to-win/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/715/malcolm-gladwell-348_assume_we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-po_1629960.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We all assume that if you're weak and poor, you're never going to win. In fact, the real world is full of…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We all assume that if you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-poor-you-re-never-going-to-win/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-all-assume-that-if-you-re-weak-and-poor-you-re-never-going-to-win/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```