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Asymmetry-the diagram is the…
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Alexander R. Galloway • The Exploit: A Theory of Networks (Electronic Mediations)
In the physical world, asymmetry is an underlying necessity for any change to happen. For example, the ‘death of the universe’ happens when all energy gradients are exhausted, and there are no asymmetries to create a gradient for energy to flow. If it weren’t for the micro asymmetries in the very early universe, nothing interesting like structures
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When directly compared or weighted against each other, losses loom larger than gains. This asymmetry between the power of positive and negative expectations or experiences has an evolutionary history. Organisms that treat threats as more urgent than opportunities have a better chance to survive and reproduce.
Morgan Housel • The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
And we can almost always detect antifragility (and fragility) using a simple test of asymmetry: anything that has more upside than downside from random events (or certain shocks) is antifragile; the reverse is fragile.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb • Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (Incerto Book 3)
Asymmetries: Finally, you need to think about something we might call “metaprobability”—the probability that your probability estimates themselves are any good.