Antifragility

The Idea

Contributed by @philhagspiel |  Edited and curated by @philhagspiel

Things can become better as a result of risk and failure.

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While things or systems typically take damage from shocks and distortions, antifragility describes the ability to grow from such impacts.

While robustness and resilience are concepts that describe how things can withstand randomness, uncertainty or failure, 'antifragility' means that things, systems or even people can literally benefit in such contexts.

Antifragility was popularized by statistician and philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb and is being applied in computer science, physics, engineering, urban planning and many other fields.

On a personal level, antifragility refers to the ability to learn from smaller errors, correct course and respond to shocks with an increase in ability and capacity.

“How can you think yourself a great man, when the first accident that comes along can wipe you out completely.”

— Euripides

Explore

➞ In this one-hour talk, Nassim Taleb explains the concept in a more technical way (especially the Q&A at the end is insightful).

This Wikipedia article gives a great overview of the concept in general.

Resources

If this idea resonates with you, some of these resources might add value to your life.

MindVault Resources Master

LinkNAMEFormatAuthor
Predictably Irrational
Book
Dan Ariely
Thinking Fast And Slow
Book
Daniel Kahnemann
Factfulness
Book
Hans Rosling
The Sovereign Individual
Book
James Dale Davidson & Lord William Rees-Mogg
VSI: Thinking & Reasoning
Book
Jonathan Evans
Antifragility
Book
Nassim Taleb
Skin In The Game
Book
Nassim Taleb
Fooled By Randomness
Book
Nassim Taleb
Principles
Book
Ray Dalio
59 Seconds - Think A Little Change A Lot
Book
Richard Wiseman
The Great Mental Models (vol. 2)
Book
Shane Parrish
The Great Mental Models (vol. 1)
Book
Shane Parrish
Enlightenment Now
Book
Steven Pinker
21 Lessons For The 21st Century
Book
Yuval Noah Harari
Modern Wisdom
Podcast
Chris Williamson
Podcast
David McRaney
Podcast
Eric Weinstein
Lex Fridman Podcast
Podcast
Lex Fridman
The “What Is Money?” Show
Podcast
Robert Breedlove
The Knowledge Project
Podcast
Shane Parrish
Podcast
Stephen West
Conversations With Tyler
Podcast
Tyler Cowen
Hidden Brain
Podcast
YouTube Channel
YouTube Channel
Crash Course: Statistics
YouTube Channel
YouTube Channel
Quanta Magazine
YouTube Channel
Primer
YouTube Channel
YouTube Channel
YouTube Channel
YouTube Channel
Paul Graham
Blog
Paul Graham
Farnam Street
Blog
Shane Parrish
Lesswrong
Blog
Untools.co
Blog
Edge.org
Blog
Brilliant.org
Courses