cross-posting from 200 Words A Day
Let’s talk about the asymmetries in our lives today.
After reading Fooled By Randomness and The Black Swan from Nassim Nicholas Taleb, I am convinced by the presence and importance of asymmetries in all walks of our lives. Moreover, these asymmetries are almost always associated with a “rare”(low probability), “unforeseeable”, highly consequential event (called a Black Swan).
Turning a blind eye to them can result in a massive blowup – the much fraught unbecoming. Thus, we all should be aware of these asymmetries and take the necessary steps to guard our interests against them, at the bare minimum; possibly, try to gain from them.
In order to shore up our defences against the brewing storm of the asymmetry, the first step is to notice them around us.
A fundamental problem with these asymmetries is that all of them are too plain to be noticed by us in our day-to-day lives. This is why we do not acknowledge them, let alone guard against them.
For example, look at how you input the plus sign(+) and the minus sign(-) from your computer’s keyboard. Notice it yet?
The Shift key looks mighty important now, doesn’t it?
We might think that such asymmetries are probably inconsequential to us and we would rather do well to not bother with them - they just complicate our world even further. However, it’s all smooth sailing for us – until the Black Swan hits us on our head and we are left to resent our ignorance/casual attitude.
Look around you! There are Black Swans waiting to be discovered by you.
Let me know what you find in the comments below.