{"id":2090,"date":"2023-10-25T14:21:23","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T19:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/?p=2090"},"modified":"2023-11-10T14:25:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T19:25:04","slug":"being-the-underdog-is-overrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2023\/10\/being-the-underdog-is-overrated\/","title":{"rendered":"Being the ‘Underdog’ is Overrated"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
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There\u2019s a well-established myth out there. It\u2019s woven into the American imagination: Underdogs can come out of nowhere and win. This narrative is fed by a story from the Hebrew Scriptures: David and Goliath. It is common to say, \u201cWe are David, and they are Goliath.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n
This trope is memorialized in movies like Rocky, Kung-Fu Panda, and Rudy. Christ followers pile on to the fun, building on statements from the Apostle Paul \u201che chose the foolish of this world to shame the wise\u201d and \u201chis grace is made perfect in our weakness.\u201d Some seem to use these statements as a replacement for hard work, competence, and an honest assessment of their God-given abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n
In truth, being the underdog is highly overrated. The underdog narrative, like many overrated ideas, contains a kernel of truth but is only partially accurate. More often than not, apparent underdogs are really not underdogs at all\u2013their capabilities are just unknown. <\/span><\/p>\n
The fantasy is that an untrained, unpracticed, poorly motivated individual or team can suddenly go through a short, intense season of inspiration, learning, and drills, and then \u201cwin\u201d is not reality. More often than not, those with no natural ability, training, or practice do poorly, causing some form of suffering for themselves and those around them. The idea that God will miraculously make up for our lack of talent and discipline and suddenly bless us with everything we want is a delusion. <\/span><\/p>\n