Life was always hard, yes, but unpleasant? At time I’m sure, but people being antifragile, they got used to it and adapted. I think when life was harder, different and deeper forms of meaning helped humanity more than stuff and more stuff helps us in the absence of any real hardship.
I love the internal combustion engine, farming, electricity, modern medicine, and indoor plumbing as much as the next guy, but when life gets easy, something gets lost. You didn’t see deaths of despair during, say, the black plague. People still reproduced. Now, entire nations don’t want to have kids because life is too hard for . . . reasons, I guess. Sad.
Very interesting thoughts on how we’ve interrupted the important work of our immune system. I wonder if we further damaged it with pandemic lockdown and hyper-focus on self protection while in super controlled environment of our own homes. Immune system issues have become the new epidemic, do we have ourselves to blame?
I’ve never heard of anti-fragile before, but I agree with you.
What I do to drag myself through the mud is to do difficult things. Like get an 8-week old puppy, who’s 9-weeks old now. Many, waking up a few times a night is hard, but I look at the advantage of having a pup for 10+ years, instead of less!
I work hard to make my game, write my stories, and create my art - I never shy away from a challenge.
"What does not kill me makes me stronger." Friedrich Nietzsche, 1888.
You've given it a great update, Ed. Antifragile, indeed.
Life was always hard, yes, but unpleasant? At time I’m sure, but people being antifragile, they got used to it and adapted. I think when life was harder, different and deeper forms of meaning helped humanity more than stuff and more stuff helps us in the absence of any real hardship.
I love the internal combustion engine, farming, electricity, modern medicine, and indoor plumbing as much as the next guy, but when life gets easy, something gets lost. You didn’t see deaths of despair during, say, the black plague. People still reproduced. Now, entire nations don’t want to have kids because life is too hard for . . . reasons, I guess. Sad.
This was SUCH a read !!! Loved it.
I love this premise, Ed: "Humans are antifragile creatures." 100% true. The more we endure, the stronger we become.
Very interesting thoughts on how we’ve interrupted the important work of our immune system. I wonder if we further damaged it with pandemic lockdown and hyper-focus on self protection while in super controlled environment of our own homes. Immune system issues have become the new epidemic, do we have ourselves to blame?
Well written.
I’ve never heard of anti-fragile before, but I agree with you.
What I do to drag myself through the mud is to do difficult things. Like get an 8-week old puppy, who’s 9-weeks old now. Many, waking up a few times a night is hard, but I look at the advantage of having a pup for 10+ years, instead of less!
I work hard to make my game, write my stories, and create my art - I never shy away from a challenge.
Thanks for posting this Ed!