Antifragile
 

WHAT SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYBODY'S COGNITIVE TOOLKIT?

The above question was posed on The Edge: World Question Center. Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan guy) presented an answer that has some meaning for my recovery. He presented three categories of systems: Fragile - systems that suffer from variation. Robust - systems that can handle variation. Antifragile - systems that thrive on variation.

Fragile – My (job, spouse, dog) sucks, and I feel like using.

Robust*– My (job, spouse, dog) sucks, but I can handle it.

Antifragile – My (job, spouse, dog) sucks, but this is an opportunity to strengthen my recovery by….

There are other good responses to the question that are relevant to recovery, but Taleb’s resonated with me. 'What do I do when my ass is falling off?' Do I just weather the variation, or do I seek ways to strengthen my recovery. The theme of 'there are no problems, just opportunities' seems to be cropping up a lot for me lately. It is more or less common sense, but sometimes having a label helps to solidify a concept.


*[I would argue that there is no real difference between this example of robust and fragile other than the magnitude of variation. I think Failure Tolerant is probably a better description of a system that functions other than in a fragile mode. 'I lost my (job, spouse, dog) that sucks, but I can handle it.' Meh – Taleb did not define variation, and it would weaken his linguistic argument, and nobody is asking me to answer questions on the Edge, so I’ll be quiet.]

Sorry...too much meat to chew...mind wants bubblegum...will come back to it later after letting the one eyed monster box suck at my brain for a bit longer...must continue ping-ponging my way meaninglessly through the internet in an ongoing quest for gems amongst the mountains of crap...

Murray

I like that...anti-fragile...nice:)

Quitting alcohol has been the best experience in my life...it has forced me to work on myself....therefore I can't regret it....is this what you mean?

I was thinking about it as a strategy for moving forward, but being grateful is a very powerful way to make the most of every opportunity. Thinking out loud...errrr typing out loud, gratitude is an excellent example of doing more than simply enduring what life throws at you, it is a way to thrive on whatever you experience. Thank you LaF :)

Murray sorry about your brain suckage.
http://www.zmescience.com/wp-content...9/11/homer.jpg

D'OH!

Murray

Gratitude is my mantra these days...not just saying it but feeling it...I've become a regular in the gratitude forum. My llife coach also emphasizes it. Being grateful for flowers, childrens smiles and puppy dogs is easy....being truly grateful for the crap life throws at you is where transendence shows up:) either that or its where Homer Simpson shows up....I always get the two confused;)