Are you Antifragile?
Antifragile by Nassim Taleb is one of the most important books of this century.
If you can put Taleb being a cantankerous sod to one side, this book will change the way you see the world.
I'm on my 4th reading.
This time I'm doing an analytical read, where I read very slowly and take copious notes. This is less an inhaling of content, as most do these days, and more a 1:1 conversation with the author.
Here's a pearl of wisdom from the prologue that puts into perspective all the fragile thinking, particularly by scientists studying the mind, who can't handle a world they don't understand:
"Antifragility has a singular property for allowing us to deal with the unknown, to do things without understanding them—and do them well. Let me be more aggressive: we are largely better at doing than we are at thinking, thanks to antifragility. I'd rather be dumb and antifragile than extremely smart and fragile, any time".
Taleb calls the "extremely smart" academics seeking absolute certainty in all matters Intellectual Yet Idiot's. I told you he was cantankerous.
But he has a point.
Yesterday I saw someone on Twitter argue that there are no research papers published to prove that there are two sexes. But there are dozens that prove there are more than two sexes.
This is like lecturing birds on how to fly. Or research to prove the sky is blue.
Nobody needed to do research to prove that there are two sexes. We've known that since the dawn of humanity. Only the Intellectual Yet Idiot would think we needed research to prove the opposite.
The scariest thing of all was the guy who tweeted is a Biomedical Researcher. A label that will make people think he's smart. Or, even more scary, that he's right.
I think I better get his address and mail him a copy of Antifragile.
But, in the meantime, do yourself a solid and read it.