A BLAC K SWA N is a highly improbable event
with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the
fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it
appear less random, and more predictable, than it
was. The astonishing success of Google was a
black swan; so was 9/11. For Nassim Nicholas
Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything
about our world, from the rise of religions to
events in our own personal lives.
Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon
of black swans until after they occur? Part of the
answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are
hardwired to learn specifics when they should
be focused on generalities...
Description:
A BLAC K SWA N is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11. For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities...