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Tags: randomness self-help Growth learning
Reference: R: The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb
According to Taleb, almost everything in the world that has a significant impact (both positive and negative) is Black Swan. Therefore, if you want to succeed, you need to prepare for random events. You must take Black Swans for default and act accordingly.
You can prepare for random events by dramatically increasing the number of consciously made new experiences. As you proactively invite new things into your life such as trying new foods, meeting new people, visiting new places, starting new projects, trying different hobbies, etc., you increase the range of possibilities.
From this range, new and unexpected things can happen. It's like a fishnet. Each experience increases the size of the net. This enables you to catch more quantities and more types of fish. The more experiences you gather, the bigger the net; the bigger the net, the more unexpected 'lucky' things you'll catch.
Additionally, when you increase the number of new experiences, the adjacent possible—i.e., the number of possibilities in a given environment—grows. The closer you get to the boundaries of what is a normal experience to you, the more possibilities of expanding it apear.
The quicker you start implementing this, the better because if you're younger the incremental increase in the luck net is bigger. It's like a launched object. When it travels 10 meters a difference of 1 degree won't make a big difference. However, if it travels 100 meters, a 1-degree difference will make a way bigger difference.
Relevant notes:
PN: Recipe for creativity: innovation requires an environment in which many diverse ideas can mingle and mix with each other. From there, unexpected combination can be born leading to innovation.
P: Luck surface area: Luck or serendipity is the combination of your expertise and the people you tell about it. If you share something valuable with people, many unexpected things can happen.
PN: You need external input for serendipity: you need to feed your brain before it can churn out ideas.
PN: Feed the mind and wait: newly acquired experiences will act as a fertile ground for new ideas to spiring.
PN: Apprenticeship is the way to learn new skills: how does it relate to the approach where you first focus on one thing and try to master it? Does the broad approach contradict it or complement it?
Use randomness to improve yourself P: Use randomness to improve yourself
Another thing you can do to find your life's task is to experiment as much as you can. Especially when you're young you should say 'yes' to almost everything you encounter. Here is why: PN: Saying YES to almost everything; P: Luck surface area; P: Use randomness to improve yourself
P: Use randomness to improve yourself: putting your ideas into practice and actually doing stuff exposes you to black swans that are hidden in the gap between theory and reality, which often lead to many serendipitous discoveries.
When you explore different niches you will build up a solid foundation of things you like and the ones you don't (you increase the size of your opportunity net P: Use randomness to improve yourself and your P: Luck surface area). You will see that for example fishing is not that interesting as it seemed at first and catching a fish isn't as pleasurable as you thought. Maybe you'll discover that running is your thing because you love to feel the wind blowing against your face as you speed along the coast. The point is, you must use this beautiful adaptation ability we all humans possess and find a niche that suits you.