The Counterintuitive Stability of Change

“The more things change, the more they stay the same” – Alphonse Karr

Being in the middle of a lot of change right now, the term Antifragile has been on my mind a lot. I haven’t read the book by the same name yet — but it’s in my queue now. I recently heard its author Nassim Taleb on one of my favorite podcasts, The James Altucher Show and it’s been rattling around in my head for the last couple weeks.

What is Antifragile?

If you aren’t familiar with the word antifragile — that’s because it technically isn’t a “real” word. That is it wasn’t, until Nassim invented it. I think the meaning at first glance seems pretty straightforward, but when you begin to think about it more in context of life, it gets a lot deeper.

Taleb coined the term “anti-fragility” because he thought the existing words used to describe the opposite of “fragility,” such as “robustness,” were inaccurate. Anti-fragility goes beyond robustness; it means that something does not merely withstand a shock but actually improves because of it.[1]

Are You Fragile?

I had never thought of myself as fragile — sure I recognized my insecurities, and I’ve written about my own anxiety levels, but when I heard the term antifragile I instantly connected with it. It put a name to what I’d been working towards for the last few years without being able to articulate it. It’s what this blog is all about changing your fear not fearing change.