There are several principles that the Nassim Taleb has talked about, including the precautionary principle, which teaches us to be cautious under conditions of uncertainty. But sometimes, his principles seem to clash with each other. The precautionary principle, for example, would seem to clash with survivorship bias, another mental model that Taleb has popularized. Key Definitions 1. … Read more
And it is solely by risking life that freedom is obtained; only thus is it tried and proved that the essential nature of self-consciousness is not bare existence, is not the merely immediate form in which it at first makes its appearance. . . . The individual, who has not staked his life, may, no … Read more
“The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” is a book by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington published in 1996. It’s an expansion of his 1993 Foreign Affairs article, “The Clash of Civilizations?”. The central argument of the book is that the sources of conflict in the post-Cold War era are primarily related … Read more
Charles Bukowski, today known as a celebrated author, found success in his fifties. In his twenties, he wrote hundreds of short stories. Two of these were published, both of which barely sold any copies. This was during a time when Bukowski traveled across the U.S, and worked several blue-collar jobs. Years later, he nearly died … Read more
Charles Bukowski, today known as a celebrated author, found success only in his fifties. In his twenties, he wrote hundreds of short stories. Two of these were published, both of which barely sold any copies. This was during a time when Bukowski traveled across the U.S, and worked several blue-collar jobs. Years later, he nearly … Read more
The busiest people harbor the greatest weariness, their restlessness is weakness – they no longer have the capacity for waiting and idleness.” Nietzsche With Nietzsche, as with any great contrarian, we find quotes that point us towards a truth that is at once counter-intuitive and provocative. Of course, when asked to imagine what it would … Read more
Mimetic Theory Where do man’s desires come from? Apart from the basic desire to survive (food, shelter, rest), what motivates people? Where did the desire for status, fame, honor, legacy, pride, vanity come from? One thinker who conceived of a simple yet brilliant answer to this question was Rene Girard, a literary theorist who spent … Read more
The Precautionary Principle is a philosophical and legal approach to dealing with innovations that have the potential for causing harm when sufficient scientific knowledge on the subject is lacking. The technological and economic progress that began with the industrial revolution created an insatiable demand for natural resources. These natural resources, their extraction, and their conversion into … Read more
The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Cipolla is a short book is a funny, clever, and simple description of the phenomenon of stupidity. In his book, Italian sociologist Mario Cipolla argues that there is no such thing as a stupid person – and that even the most powerful in society can be stupid. But … Read more
Law 5: A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person. The corollary of the Law is that ‘A stupid person is more dangerous than a bandit.’ Carlo Cipolla, The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity The perfect bandit incurs a plus on his account equivalent to the minus caused to the other person. Society … Read more