Andrew, my dear friend, consider me thoroughly indulged….and challenged.
One clarification: my argument when we spoke was that we should strive to become antifragile…work toward that capacity.
I don’t believe humans are antifragile by definition, or that suffering automatically makes us stronger.
As I’ve written recently in my own essays, the goal is to become more difficult to overwhelm by training ourselves to withstand adversity. That takes practice, recovery, and sometimes accepting care.
Your game asks a question that “stronger” alone cannot answer: stronger in service of what? Becoming more capable of enduring life while becoming less capable of loving it is a costly bargain, methinks.
“The darkest things that happen to me, they stop with me.” That is a demanding commitment that asks us to notice when the pain we survived starts shaping how we treat someone else.
I appreciate you making room for what deserves to be handled with care, including in ourselves.
I train to develop the strength to remain open to people, even knowing what that can cost.
“Evolve with love” gives that strength a direction. Thank you for bringing me into this, brother.
What a greaet note. Thank you for kicking off my weekend with such a thoughtful response. The perspective on becoming antifragile versus born antifragile is an interesting one worth follow-up. I’m thinking maybe it’s both. It takes an antifragile being and system to accept challenge as a means to growth. And, yes, the more we challege ourselves, the more antifragile we become.
I’m looking forward to recording another show with you, one dedicated to playing The Whole Mind Game. Think up your most challenging paradox, the hardest “this or that” situation, and we’ll play.
Andrew, my dear friend, consider me thoroughly indulged….and challenged.
One clarification: my argument when we spoke was that we should strive to become antifragile…work toward that capacity.
I don’t believe humans are antifragile by definition, or that suffering automatically makes us stronger.
As I’ve written recently in my own essays, the goal is to become more difficult to overwhelm by training ourselves to withstand adversity. That takes practice, recovery, and sometimes accepting care.
Your game asks a question that “stronger” alone cannot answer: stronger in service of what? Becoming more capable of enduring life while becoming less capable of loving it is a costly bargain, methinks.
“The darkest things that happen to me, they stop with me.” That is a demanding commitment that asks us to notice when the pain we survived starts shaping how we treat someone else.
I appreciate you making room for what deserves to be handled with care, including in ourselves.
I train to develop the strength to remain open to people, even knowing what that can cost.
“Evolve with love” gives that strength a direction. Thank you for bringing me into this, brother.
Good morning, Ruben.
What a greaet note. Thank you for kicking off my weekend with such a thoughtful response. The perspective on becoming antifragile versus born antifragile is an interesting one worth follow-up. I’m thinking maybe it’s both. It takes an antifragile being and system to accept challenge as a means to growth. And, yes, the more we challege ourselves, the more antifragile we become.
I’m looking forward to recording another show with you, one dedicated to playing The Whole Mind Game. Think up your most challenging paradox, the hardest “this or that” situation, and we’ll play.