stealing pots?

we have all read that to gmable in small pots is silly, as a rule. yet, also, to be slow to go out in big pots. i think i read that the threshold for a small/big pot is 10 BBs.

my question is: why not?

i mean, i understand the reason to gamble a bit in bigger pots, but why not take the small pots, too. my philosophy is simple. if i can be the aggressor (first one to lay the bet), then i open up with what i will steal with...whether in position or not.

dont get me wrong, i wont call a bet into small pots under 5 BBs, but i will, if allowed to, throw a bet out there to see who will fold. it goes without saying that reads help here. too.

but why are we so afraid to let a missed flop bet of 3/4 into a 5BB pot scare us off? draws. overs. lone A's. they all get folded around with laughable prediction, at least where i play, and that pads my win rate quite a bit.

am i WAY off here, or do some of you do this, too?

also, stealing from the small blind about 20% of the time? anyone?
...Bueller?