If they come out confusing, its my fault read the book. As comical as talebs rough handling of his favorite targets can beacademics, economists, and tourists, to name a fewhis argumentative. Rolf dobelli translated and summarized the section on via negativa from the unpublished manuscript of antifragile with which he was entrusted in a german newspaper zeit, with no sourcing and attribution. In action, it is a recipe for what to avoid, what not to do subtraction, not addition, say, in medicine. As the book progresses, taleb covers in great depth the domain of the fragile and the opposing domain of the antifragile showing how fragility can be detected, measured, and transformed. Via negativa when you first say what you are not and start.
Via negativa the art of adding to your life by subtracting. The lindy effect a few mental biases neomania and treadmill effects architecture and the irreversible neomania wall to wall. Lets look at some ways you can move from fragility to robustness to antifragility in your life. In theology and philosophy, the focus on what something is not, an indirect definition.
The impact of the highly improbable 2007 completes nassim nicholas talebs. May 12, 20 the problem of the commercial world is that it only works by addition via positiva, not subtraction via negativa. Things that gain from disorder, nassim nicholas taleb explains that the via negativa strategy is the best way for organizations and people to become antifragileii. Things that gain from disorder 2012, alongside fooled by randomness. Antifragile summary by nassim taleb part 2 youtube. As taleb puts it, the greatest and most robust contribution to knowledge consists in removing what we think is wrong subtractive epistemology. Talebs discussion of via negativa was so intriguing that i read this chapter twice. It has many different concepts and some extremely interesting points of view.
Taleb discusses via negativa, an idea that has been around in one form or another for thousands of years and under other names. Apr 21, 2019 in this video i will present 5 additional takeaways from antifragile. The heuristic to detect fragility and antifragility. However, unlike the ancient stoic philosopher who had to count on his pupil arrian for the compilation of his discourses, taleb takes it upon himself and authors a highly engaging, thoughtprovoking, unputdownable book. Recurring themes throughout the book include skin in the game, via negativa, lindy effect, barbell strategy and the green lumber fallacy. The goal should be to move beyond resilience to becoming antifragile. The rise of the antifragile the quintessential mind. In his book antifragile, nassim taleb, the patron saint of strong towns thinking.
Via negativa is a type of theological thinking that attempts to describe god by negation or in other words, by what god is not. Via negativa is a latin phrase used in christian theology to explain a way of describing god by focusing on what he is not, rather than what he is. You can observe the beneficial effects of via negativa effects in a. Think of the fragile as a book for which ive written the antibook. Aug 12, 2018 a book that has been in print for 100 years can be expected to remain in print for another 100 years. Nassim taleb says that whats most likely to stick in the future is what has already been around for long. Increasingly, data can only truly deliver via negativastyle knowledgeit can be effectively used to debunk, not confirm. A wonderfully simple heuristic to recognize charlatans. Antifragile by nassim nicholas taleb digested read. In his book antifragile, nassim taleb argues that the best way for a person or organization. The wealth of radical thinking in this book astounds. The hidden role of chance in life and in the markets 2005 and the black swan. Time and fragility from simonides to jensen learning to subtract technology at its best to age in reverse.
Unlike many books of this genre, which spend 200 pages padding a 5 page idea, antifragile is a fractal of a book, taking its central ideas and examining and applying them in myriad ways. The concept of subtractive knowledge is discussed in quite a bit of detail in nassim nicholas talebs antifragile, one of the books in the incerto. Antifragile is a book that is difficult to summarize. Same examples michelangelo, same wording, same ideas.
Antifragile by nassim nicholas taleb issue 97 philosophy now. It is a term introduced by the brilliant nassim nicholas taleb, in his seminal book antifragile. Whenever you can, you should always find opportunities to actually grow from disorder, volatility, and adversity. Things that gain from disorder, nassim nicholas taleb explains that the via negativa strategy is the best way for. Aug 12, 2018 for the antifragile, small shocks bring more benefits as their intensity increases up to a point. For example, eating less extends lives and avoiding new foods and sugars. The apophatic should always take the via negativa and assume that. Things that gain from disorder, nassim nicholas taleb explains that the via negativa strategy is the best way for organizations and people to become antifragile ii.
The lindy effect a few mental biases neomania and treadmill effects architecture and the irreversible neomania wall to wall windows metrification turning science into journalism. Here, taleb argues that the solution to many problems in life is by removing things, not adding things. Via negativa does not try to express what god is leave that to the primitive brand of. Convexity biases, jensen\u2019s inequality, and their impact on ignorance. The central theme of the book is antifragility, which taleb defines in the prologue. Nov 10, 2011 nassim nicholas taleb november 10, 2011 the entire idea of via negativa is that omission avoidance of harm, removal of drugs, corn syrup, cigarettes, gluten, carbs by fasting, gym instructors, tail risks, etc. May 28, 2014 the answer to this question is one and only. You know what is wrong with more certainty than you know anything else. Via negativa can also be used to describe a similarly. He argues against buying things with huge marketing budgets as most high quality things do not require it eggs, meat, art, museums, etc. Via negativa has its origins in theology and philosophy. One of the first was david tenney, and then steve magness and finally martin bingisser. Talebs books are heavy and full of mental models and wisdom that will. Nassim nicholas taleb the acclaimed author of the influential bestseller the black swan, nicholas nassim taleb takes a next big step with a deceptively simple concept.
My understanding of risk and how to address it has shifted dramatically, and the application of the concepts discussed has yielded surprising results. You might suppose that the opposite of fragile is something like robust something that resists change. Via negativa the art of adding to your life by subtracting from it. Nassim nicholas taleb antifragile things that gain from dis 2. Dec 02, 2012 antifragile by nassim nicholas taleb digested read. Antifragile is a word that didnt come to me organically. As usual at the end of the journey, while i was looking at the entire manuscript on a restaurant table, someone from a semitic culture asked me to explain my book standing on one leg. This book, which introduces and describes the concept of antifragility, is pretty revolutionary. The pope was asking michelangelo, what is the secret behind his genius, and he wanted to know, how was michelangelo able to sculpture such a remarkable masterpiece the statue of david.
Nassim nicholas taleb speaks on how india can achieve antifragile growth iec 2019. Antifragile is a standalone book in nassim nicholas talebs landmark incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decisionmaking in a world we dont understand. Things that gain from disorder is more than just a book, its a modernday equivalent of enchiridion of epictetus. Nassim taleb is also an eclectic, entertaining and at times beautifully sarcastic writer in antifragile he coined iand, standing for. Mar 11, 2015 via negativa subtracting things not seasoned by nature reduces the chances of black swans while leaving one open to improvements. Increasingly, data can only truly deliver via negativa style knowledgeit can be effectively used to debunk, not confirm. We do that through practicing via negativa a phrase borrowed from theology. Apr 10, 2020 to be truly effective in a world swirling with complexity, randomness, and risk, you cant stop at sissy resilience. Taleb argues that a lot of problems can be solved by removing things, and not by adding more. Antifragile by nassim nicholas taleb digested read books.
Apr 27, 2018 nassim taleb on true wealth nassim taleb is one of my favourite authors, and his antifragile is one of my favourite books. You remove the downside things, people, activities that make you more vulnerable. How to become antifragile so you can thrive in any crisis. An egg will not benefit from having a 5lb weight put on it, but your body can become stronger through similar stresses. According to taleb, the first step towards antifragility consists in first decreasing downside. Books antifragile by nassim nicholas taleb eleni panagiotarakou benefits from nassim nicholas talebs attack on the follies of overcautiousness antifragile. One of this books chapters that interests me particularly is titled via negativa. Subtractive knowledge barbells, again less is more chapter 20. When asked how the future house will look like, for example, a shelf full of books is a good guess because a shelf full of books has been around for centuries. The apophatic, writes nassim taleb in antifragile, focuses on what cannot be. A relatively quick reference point for the key concepts that he elaborates in the book. Apr 10, 2016 more recently, nassim taleb featured a chapter in antifragile on the concept of via negativa latin for negative way, or by way of denial to illustrate how the concept can apply to living a happier life.
Taleb earlier in his book discusses some old ideas especially stoicism, the greek philosophical school of zeno and epictetus, stoicism is also a big part of tom wolfes book a man in full, see wikipedia reference on his book the book is excellent. Anyway, the book is definitely a must read i use to say that ive learned most about coaching and sport science from books that dont have direct connection with coaching and sport science, and antifragile. Just look at the how to books with, in their title, ten steps for fill in. You cant say the same for a man whos been alive for 100 years. Taleb has now more fully developed the concept of antifragility in his most recent book, antifragile. The via negativa of building strong towns strong towns.