There’s this philosopher – Nassim Nicholas Taleb – who either developed or articulated the concept of anti-fragility. It sounds a lot like resilience but it is different.

Resilience is being able to bounce back from setbacks while anti-fragility is somehow increasing from it.

I can’t remember exactly the examples he used but I may have a few of my own. No doctor but my understanding is that some surgical procedures actually make the body stronger.

Apparently, an apple tree struggles to grow for 6 years before producing fruit. That time is necessary. The absorption of whatever it needs is the pre-requisite for the product.

This honestly isn’t really a novel concept. Pain and suffering is often linked with great growth and accomplishment when handled properly. Difficult is easy.

But this is something different still. How does one measure anti-fragility and more importantly, develop it?

It’s more than just grit.

I think it’s lots of practice over time and an act of the will.

It’s not running away from pain or being a glutton for punishment but something else. Maybe even the welcoming of it and seeing it as an opportunity.

The primary strategic system I used was the OODA loop. It prizes incorporating a mixture of ideas, disciplines, and experiences. Even negative ones. Those can be valuable as they can be the most educational. So maybe this is one example of the concept.