Good Health

THE antifragile AGE

When Katherine Pranic got cancer in her first year of university, it turned her plans upside-down. Surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma also cultivated skills for dealing with challenges that would prove crucial in later years.

Like Katherine, who is now 40 and working as a freelance copywriter in Sydney, most of us experience unexpected trials – with our health, relationships, finances or career. While most of us probably prefer smooth sailing, life rarely works that way. Some things even benefit from disruption and thrive when exposed to change.

‘Antifragility has a singular property of allowing us to deal with the unknown, to do things without understanding them – and do them well’

In 2012, scholar Nassim Nicholas Taleb released a book detailing why things benefit from randomness and risk. Called , Nassim’s work describes antifragility as beyond resilience or robustness. “The resilient resists

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Good Health

Good Health1 min read
Count Your Blessings
It was great to read your ‘Rise to the Challenge’ article about resilience in your March issue, which really resonated with me. I always thought I was made of pretty tough stuff; surviving a couple of divorces and the early death of my dad to cancer
Good Health1 min read
Good Health
Editor-in-Chief Nicky Dewe Editor Amy Prebble Creative Director Louise Thomson Feature Writers Erin Fisher, Monique McKenzie Beauty Editor Helene Ravlich Senior Designer Kate van den Bergh Designers Archie Blohm, Robyn Te Whata Chief Su
Good Health8 min read
Health Now
Researchers have likened brunch to the equivalent of jet-lag, saying the digression from a regular eating schedule can be as disruptive as the body confusion of changing from one time zone to another. In particular, our Sunday brunch could be linked

Related Books & Audiobooks