Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Trading Freedom for Security Is Fair Game

How much does your job limit your freedom? Apart from freedom, what other sacrifices do you have to make for the security your job provides? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that employment is a mutually beneficial agreement in which employees are trading freedom for security to a company that, in exchange, bears some of their personal risks. In Taleb’s words, employees put their skin in the company’s game. In this article, we’ll discuss the risk-freedom trade-off made by employees, detailing the benefits employees receive from employers and the ways in which their freedom is limited.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Perfectionism Kills Creativity

Is your tendency towards perfectionism getting in the way of your ability to be creative? How does perfectionism hinder creativity? One of the greatest mental obstacles to creativity is perfectionism. No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to attain perfection in the creative realm—there will always be a way someone can find your work lacking. It’s therefore pointless to strive for perfection and better just to create something imperfect and put it into the world. In this article, we’ll look at how perfectionism kills creativity and how not to let it get in the way of

The 3.5% Rule: The Passionate Few Change the World

What is the 3.5% rule? Does it really take only 3.5% of the population to challenge the status quo? According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, the state of the world is largely the result of small groups passionately fighting for what they want rather than a majority’s consensus. Indeed, history shows us that in order for your passionate few to succeed, you only need 3.5% of the population on your side. In this article, we’ll explore how the concept applies to politics, religion, language, and morality. We’ll conclude by explaining how you yourself can be

Joseph Murphy: How to Train Your Subconscious Mind

Is it possible to influence your subconscious mind through conscious thought? What can you do to train your subconscious mind to think more positively? In his book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy explains how to train your subconscious mind through conscious thought. The process to train your subconscious mind is very simple: You just need to use your conscious mind to imprint positive thoughts and images upon your subconscious mind. Murphy explains that there are two steps to making this process work for you: First, you need to decide to think positive thoughts. Then, you need to

What Is Information Asymmetry?

What is information asymmetry? What are the ethical implications of asymmetries in information? Asymmetry of information is where one party involved in a transaction has more information than the other party. According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, asymmetry of information is essentially the same as asymmetry of risk. When there is a hidden imbalance of information in a transaction, the party with less knowledge incurs more risk. In this article, we’ll explain how the risk created by information asymmetry contributes to unethical transactions.

Creative Challenges Are a Part of the Creative Process

What are some of the most common obstacles you encounter when creating? How do you deal with these challenges? No matter what creative pursuit you take on, there will always be attending annoyances. Developing an ability to cope with irritants and unpleasantness is as much a part of your job as a creator as actually creating. In this article, we’ll discuss how to handle the inevitable creative challenges you’ll encounter on your creative journey.

Modern Education Breeds “Intellectuals, Yet Idiots”

What does Taleb mean by “Intellectual, Yet Idiot”? What are the defining traits of someone whom Taleb would consider Intellectual, Yet Idiot? “Intellectual, Yet Idiot” is a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb to refer to a type of person who lacks “skin in the game”—that, who is averse to risk. Taleb argues that Intellectual, Yet Idiots create flawed systems because the concept of skin in the game is totally foreign to them. They would never think to dissect a situation in terms of risk, and as a result, they fundamentally misunderstand many aspects of life. In this article, we’ll

How to Reframe Your Thoughts for More Positivity

How to Develop a Positive Sales Attitude

Do you often find yourself stuck in negative thinking patterns? What can you do to train your mind to think more positively? According to Joseph Murphy, the author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, negative, self-sabotaging thoughts can block the flow of Universal Consciousness into your life. When this flow is blocked, you are more likely to attract negative experiences into your life. In this article, we’ll explore specific methods you can use to reframe your thoughts for more positivity.

Mitigating Political Polarization in America

What are the dangers of political polarization? What might some solutions be to mitigate political polarization in America? According to Levitsky and Ziblatt, the authors of How Democracies Die, party polarization tends to lead to the erosion of democratic norms and the destruction of democracy. They define polarization as the disappearance of the middle ground in politics, in which parties do not differ merely on basic ideology or matters of public policy—but, instead, are sorted into mutually incompatible worldviews. In this article, we’ll discuss Levitsky and Ziblatt’s solution to the extreme partisan divide.

What Is the Curse of Dimensionality?

What is the curse of dimensionality? Is it ever possible to predict the behavior of a complex system? The curse of dimensionality is a mathematical principle that states that as a system grows, the rate at which it becomes complex accelerates. In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that because of the curse of dimensionality, complex systems are impossible to reliably predict—any adjustment made to a large, complex system will cause an avalanche of unintended side effects. Without the true knowledge gained from failure, we would never know enough to navigate the infinitely complex world. In this