Antifragility: How to evolve and find the good in stress and chaos
Miscellaneous / / March 25, 2022
This way of thinking will help you get stronger, even when everything seems to be working against you.
What is antifragility
Antifragility is the state of a system in which it improves and thrives in response to chaos, stress, upheaval, and instability. The term was coined by former trader and risk manager Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Ph.D.
Being antifragile meansBeyond "Sissy" Resilience: On Becoming Antifragile / The Art of Manliness look for benefits in unexpected events, and not just wait them out. Both business and working teamand every single person.
In addition to antifragility, Taleb's approach distinguishes two more states:
- fragility. The exact opposite of antifragility. The stress response here is dictated by panic and the fight-or-flight mechanism. In such a system, everything is so tightly connected to each other that a mistake in one process can lead to the rapid collapse of everything - like in a domino effect.
- Invulnerability. A state between fragility and antifragility. A stable system that does not suffer from chaos, and does not win.
To make the difference between the states clearer, Taleb illustrates them using the example of characters from Greek mythology:
- Fragility - Damocles. His life depends on the strength of the horsehair on which the sword hangs over his head. Any unexpected stress means instant crash.
- Invulnerability - Phoenix. After death, the bird is always reborn from the ashes. She is not afraid of chaos.
- Antifragile - Hydra. If one head is cut off, two new ones grow. That is, the problems only make it stronger.
How to develop antifragility
1. Don't be afraid of mistakes
If you are careful all the time avoid failure, you can be completely at a loss when they suddenly come. And the result of such a meeting will be unpredictable and destructive. An antifragile system, on the other hand, periodically encounters problems, survives them and knows how to respond to such problems in the future. And even ready to make mistakes on purpose. For example, this is what Netflix does. The company periodically attacks their own servers using the Chaos Monkey program. Thus, she trains them to find and fix bugs, and also makes sure that the failure of one of the servers will not bring down the entire online cinema. When an unplanned threat arises, the system will not go down.
It is not necessary to deliberately create problems for yourself at work and in everyday life. But do not avoid them at all costs or perceive mistakes as defeat - this will slow down your development. Let's say you set yourself the goal of switching to proper nutrition, but because of stress, you once ate a whole pizza for dinner - do not scold yourself and do not put an end to your plans. Analyze why this happened, draw conclusions and work to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.
2. Don't try to escape the global turmoil
It is impossible to prepare for all the twists and turns of life, as well as to influence them. Therefore, think for a long time about changes and lament from impotence - an option that will not lead to anything. An anti-fragile system in conditions of chaos sets itself the task of maintaining in due form what it really can, that is, itself and its actions. For example, in everyday life it is food, hobbies, sleep, social circle, order in the apartment. If you ignore them and plunge headlong into observing the surrounding mess, there is a risk of turning things under your control into ruins.
3. Don't focus on one option
In an antifragile system, the destruction of one possibility does not lead to complete inaction or confusion. Mistakes and external difficulties are a reason to reconsider old alternative activities or find new ones. This works with both long-term and short-term plans. Thus, an antifragile person tries to develop skills in different areas: when one of them becomes inaccessible, he can safely switch to another. Or if his plans for the day collapse, he does not give up, but thinks out what else to do with himself.
Let's say you were going to the movies with a friend and he got sick. You can get upset and spend the day in bed. But it’s better to consider several other options: go to the movies alone, call someone else, go for a walk in the park, or propose friend watch a movie together remotely.
4. Avoid risks that can lead to total failure
Trying new things is fine and rewarding, but only if the risk doesn't require you to go all in. Instead of one critical or catastrophic risk, an antifragile system prefers a set of small ones. They can be both successful and unsuccessful, but they certainly will not destroy it entirely.
For example, it would be a fragile act to spend all the savings on the purchase of shares in one company. And antifragile - distribute them between the shares of different organizations, while leaving some of the money intact and putting it on deposit with a good annual interest. Both actions can bring passive income, but in the second case, the risk of losing everything is much less.
5. Create a stable base
In order to be flexible and risk-averse, an antifragile system needs not only variability, but also a solid foundation that will save in an emergency. A stable base includes an “airbag” - savings that will help you calmly survive several months without income. It will reduce the level of panic and impotence in case of cuts or a sharp increase in prices.
6. Use the "bar strategy"
Taleb means by this term a special approach to the distribution of resources. An antifragile system simultaneously takes multiple risks in some areas and is extremely cautious in others. The comparison with the barbell was chosen for a reason. Safe and risky initiatives are like discs at different ends of the neck: if their number is balanced, it is easy to hold the projectile; if not, leaning to one side can lead to a fall.
Suppose you go to the office during the day and get bored, and in the evening you master new profession at the online university. If after training you find a dream job, you will be able to abandon the old one, and if not, you will not be left without money. The risk of losing everything is minimal. Unlike the other option: if you quit your job and only then started studying.
7. Get rid of what is not good
Before you go in search of new ways of development, hobbies and ways to earn money, you need to eliminate what makes you fragile. Think about what habits, things that are familiar prevent you from reaching your potential. For example, criticizing a toxic friend makes you doubt yourself, going to bed late makes you overwhelmed during the day, smoking makes it difficult to give all your best in the gym. Try to remove such factors from your life or at least minimize their influence. One or more changes will help improve the final result.
Read also🧐
- 5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Boost Your Fortitude
- Why mass hysteria spreads easily and how to counter it
- How not to go crazy when everything in life is uncertain
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