5 Ways To Become Antifragile and say Say F*** this Sh**
Could This Be The Only Way Up and Onward?
It’s not enough to be tough anymore, as that means rolling with the punches. Most of us are tired of rolling… So, what’s tougher than tough? Antifragile.
Let’s define antifragile by comparing it to “tough”…
Tough is like a truck than can go up a rocky mountain without damage. Antifragile is when the truck becomes more sturdy from the climb.
Antifragile trucks are science-fiction, but you can become an antifragile human…
An Extreme Example (don’t try at home)
A man named Wim Hoff became famous for taking ice baths and climbing freezing Mount Everest barefoot in shorts.
He exposed himself to adversity to become antifragile, using breathing techniques to stay warm, which he says also boosts his immune system.
To prove his point, he allowed himself to be injected with E. coli, a bacteria that causes fever, chills, nausea and other flu -like symptoms. “When Hof sailed through that test with virtually no flu-like symptoms, doctors were stunned,” a report noted.
Antifragile is when you get more resilient from adversity.
Becoming Antifragile in the Age of ‘Rona
The conditions of pandemic-living turned so awful, many finally had no choice but to either completely cave (and live in a bubble), or become brave.
We can still be reasonably safe, but living in fear is not safety, it just makes us vulnerable … fragile as a glass bubble.
We want to be antifragile like muscle, which gets stronger through strain.
Fear keeps us in fight-or-flight mode, which pumps stress through us, weakening our immune system and making us more susceptible to disease.
Giving into fear makes us fragile.
F*** that Sh** (pardon the asterixis).
For me, overcoming irrational fear of Covid had a surprising benefit: I overcame fear of germs in general … germaphobic tendencies subsided.
I realized the more my body is exposed to germs, the more my immune system learns, and the more antifragile I become…
Dirt and Dander Can Boost Immunity
Studies show the more babies are exposed to germs, dirt and dander, the less allergies they often develop.
On the other hand, it was noted that babies raised in too sterile of an environment are more likely to develop hypersensitive immune systems.
The opposite of antifragile is hypersensitive.
Now for that listicle…
Take leaps of faith.
Whether it’s marriage, starting a business or going to your first gathering in a while, just do it, don’t wait. You’ll be amazed what happens when you take action, suddenly the universe conspires in your favor. It’s like the saying: Fortune favors the bold.
However, if you let yourself linger in a state of inaction, the universe will taunt you, keeping you trapped in indecision, going back-and-forth between positives and negatives.
The first step to antifragility is to take action and not worry about outcome. When we trust things will work out, they more often do.
Treasure mistakes.
We humans have this amazing thing called an IQ, meaning we not only figure out how stuff works, we figure out how to make it work better.
How? Often from accidents that show us things we didn’t expect.
In life, we don’t learn near as much from our victories from our mistakes. When a mistake inevitably happens, instead of focusing on how awful that feels, focus on what you could’ve done better and the new golden nuggets of wisdom you just gained. ? That’s antifragile.
Trust your gut more than “the news.”
When the pandemic first hit, I reacted pretty reasonably, realizing it would probably spread throughout the populace, we’d suffer, lose some, then develop immunity and life would go on.
But when my kids were sent home from school and society shut down, so did I (in early 2020). Never again. Not only have lockdowns been shown to be largely ineffective, they made us more fragile.
Anti-fragile means trusting your own intuition over “the crowd.”
Don’t hide your dark side, yet strive for the light.
You won’t be able to remove everything “dark” about you, and trying could destroy everything that’s light. Part of being human is making mistakes, being this odd combination of animal and a metaphysical being.
We will never be like a doll on a shelf. So embrace your humanness, your passions (just don’t let them consume you). Realize running away from your dark side is another way of letting it consume you.
Just accept who you are, reach for the light. The attitude toward your dark side should be one more of playfulness rather than aversion.
Trust that you are a good person deep down, and the people who overly repress their dark sides often commit the worst crimes.
Silence is really a Superpower
Silence protects us from speaking in anger, even though someone else invited it. It also helps us look intelligent, not only from not saying something stupid, but people think quiet people are smart (they must be busy thinking).
Silence helps us listen to others, and pick up wisdoms that can help us, and little sounds that can save our lives (the crack of a branch above).
Silence keeps us in the realm of the life-learner, rather than know-it-all. When we’re quiet, we can better observe reality, absorbing insights rather than being at the mercy of stormy emotions.
An antifragile person is comfortable with silence, as that’s when they’re feeling the moment, gathering energy…
Finally, Just Seize the day
Make a “visionary” list of small steps to achieve in a day, and do them. Don’t let anything stop you. There will be moments where you’ll meet resistance, doubts and maybe even haters .
Accept all as plot points leading to a greater climax.
Knowing you’re in your own movie that has a happy ending leads to becoming antifragile. Start by laughing at the next thing that scares you, just like the hero would.
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Standard medical disclaimer: the statements on this page should not be construed as dispensing medical advice and/or making medical claims regarding the cure or prevention of diseases. You should consult a licensed health care professional before making any medical decisions.
https://medium.com/soul-mission/warning-this-may-cause-self-realization-a27cc0e0d018
https://medium.com/soul-mission/warning-this-may-cause-self-realization-a27cc0e0d018