Society Archives

Nassim Taleb: Risk Defines Reality

Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? How does risk-taking enrich your life? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that risk-taking— having skin in the game—is the essence of life itself. As Taleb puts it, “real life is risk-taking.” He means this literally—by definition, a life without risk is not real life. Taleb is saying that risk defines what we consider to be reality and creates meaning by defining value. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s take on risk (that is, having your skin in the game, as Taleb puts it).

The Milgram Study and the Dangers of Blind Obedience

What is the focus of the Milgram study? Why is the experiment so important? The Milgram study was carried out by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram to explore the tendency of people to obey orders from authority figures even when they contradict their personal values. The experiment is important because it helps us understand why seemingly decent people will blindly follow flawed leaders to do bad things. Read on to learn more about the discoveries of the Milgram study.

Isabel Wilkerson: The Subjugation of the Lowest Caste

In what ways are the lowest caste often mistreated in hierarchical social class systems? What are some examples of mistreatment from United States history? In order to maintain their power, the dominant caste will often mistreat the lower castes in order to keep them in their place and maintain power. Two major ways they go about doing this are by giving the lower caste members menial and subordinate tasks, and by terrorizing them physically and psychologically. Continue reading to understand how the lowest class in a caste is mistreated.

Social Class Mobility and Economic Inequality

What is social class mobility? How does social class mobility contribute to economic equality? Social class mobility refers to the degree to which people are able to move between classes within the economic stratification system. According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, social class mobility is a more telling representation of a nation’s economic inequality than static inequality (the inequality of a population at a point in time). In this article, we’ll explore why social class mobility is a better metric to track when measuring economic inequality.

Erin Meyer: What Is Affective Trust?

What is affective trust? How do people from personal cultures approach professional relationships? Affective trust is trust that develops based on how you feel about the other person. Affective trust is the trust that people of all cultures feel towards their family and friends. But in personal cultures, it’s also the cornerstone of professional relationships. In this article, we’ll look at how members of personal cultures build trust and present some tips you can use to build trust in a personal culture.

The 3 Major Problems With the Caste System

What are the three biggest problems with the caste system? Where do these problems stem from? According to Isabel Wilkerson, the author of Caste, the dominant caste’s beliefs in an innate right to be in control give them a sense of entitlement and the authority to police the actions of the subordinate caste. This causes three general problems. First, upper-caste entitlement can lead to violence, second, people in the lower caste internalize and reproduce that violence, and third, society misses out on the lower class’s contributions. Here are the three problems, explained.

The 2 Types of Inequality: Static vs. Dynamic

What are the two types of inequality? How does the free market help reduce economic disparity between classes? According to Nassim Taleb, there are two types of wealth and two types of inequality: static and dynamic. Static inequality refers to the wealth disparity of a population at any given single point in time. On the other hand, dynamic inequality refers to the inability of a given individual to rise in economic class across a lifetime. In this article, we’ll explore the difference between Taleb’s two types of inequality. Then, we’ll examine Taleb’s argument that the free market does the most

How to Overcome the Halo Effect Bias

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Halo Effect Bias

What is the halo effect bias? How do you correct the halo bias? The halo effect bias is the tendency to let your dislike of someone or another group blind you to the virtues and strengths of the other party. This can lead to bad decisions or dangerous underestimation of a hated enemy. You can correct the bias by inverting your feelings to see what you can find to like about the object of your hatred. Read on to learn more about the halo effect bias.

The Aftermath of the 2016 Presidential Election

Why did the rates of violence increase following the 2016 presidential election? How did the election of Donald Trump invoke white supremacism? In her book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson discusses how the caste system in America led to violence after Donald Trump’s election. According to Wilkerson, many white Americans had been feeling threatened because people of color were gaining more recognition and the election of Trump gave them permission to act on their white supremacist beliefs. Here’s what happened in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.

The Purpose of Religion Is to Mitigate Our Selfishness

What is the purpose of religion? How does religion differ from secular belief? According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, the ultimate purpose of religion is to offset the risks of societal ruin caused by humans’ self-serving instincts. When conceptualized in this way, religion is not too different from secular beliefs. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s argument that the purpose of religion is to mitigate human selfishness.