the tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked … - Malcolm Gladwell

We take it for granted that the Big Pond expands opportunities, just as we take it for granted that a smaller class is always a better class. We have a definition in our heads of what an advantage is — and the definition isn’t right. And what happens as a result? It means that we make mistakes. It means that we misread battles between underdogs and giants. It means that we underestimate how much freedom there can be in what looks like a disadvantage. It’s the Little Pond that maximizes your chances to do whatever you want.

power has an important limitation. It has to be seen as legitimate, or else its use has the opposite of its intended effect.

In the past generation, the American educational system has decided not to seek the very best teachers, give them lots of kids to teach, and pay them more — which would help children the most. It has decided to hire every teacher it can get its hands on and pay them less.