Antifragility
Things That Grow From Failure
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TL;DR
Things can become better as a result of risk and failure.
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.
To Remember
“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
For a structured list of fascinating books, blogs, podcasts, and Youtube channels related to systems thinking and reason, visit mindvault.co/antifragility.
Call To Action
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