Society Archives

Skin in the Game: Nassim Taleb’s Philosophy of Risk

What is Nassim Taleb’s “skin in the game” philosophy? What does it mean to have your skin in the game? In this book Skin in the Game, Nassim Nicholas Taleb deconstructs what we know about life and society with a new ideological framework that’s both unconventional in its insights and fundamentally human. By reinterpreting life in terms of risk and reward, Taleb demonstrates how “skin in the game” is the foundation of an honorable and fulfilling life and why shirking your fair share of risk is the root of all evil. In this article, we’ll explore Nassim Taleb’s philosophy behind

The Making of Modern Nationalism in Europe

How did nationalism arise in Europe? What were the key factors that have led to its development? It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that Europe started to feel its own form of national pride—part of this was thanks to the Enlightenment. Another contributing factor was the realization that Latin wasn’t the “superior” language and that there were, in fact, many ancient languages in the world. Keep reading to learn more about the making of nationalism in Europe.

The Impact of Secularization on Mythology and Folklore

What is the impact of secularization on classic hero myths? Are we misunderstanding the true purpose of mythologies? The degradation of the supernatural elements of ancient myths and folklore into mere instructive fables is largely due to the impact of secularization. In our logic-driven society, it is easy to prove that mythologies are not true. However, this ignores the purpose of myths, which is to serve as an adventure into the recesses of the soul, a journey of self-discovery with a mythical story as our guide. Read on to discover more about the impact of secularization on the relevance of

Skin in the Game: Book Review, Context, and Reception

Is Nassim Taleb’s Skin in the Game worth reading? How does Taleb define having your “skin in the game”? Skin in the Game is the 2018 addition to Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s bestselling Incerto, a series of philosophical nonfiction works dedicated to exploring how uncertainty defines our world. The book is a treatise on the necessity of skin in the game—the need for everyone to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. In this Skin in the Game review, we’ll cover the book’s context, background, and critical reception by the readers.

The Rise of Nationalism Amongst Linguistic Minorities

How did the new celebration of cultural identities and linguistic minorities affect the growth of nationalism? How did linguistic-based nationalism change the way many countries were run? According to Benedict Anderson, the author of Imagined Communities, the rise in linguistic nationalism has led to changes in how countries are run—primarily, many nations declared an official national language. Thanks to this change, many old dynasties lost their power. Here is how the rise of nationalism among linguistic minorities shaped how nations are run.

Nassim Taleb: The Psychology of Loss Aversion

What is loss aversion? Do you think it’s rational to be loss-averse? In psychology, loss aversion is a cognitive bias whereby individuals would rather avoid losses than acquire gains. Most psychologists describe humans’ sense of loss aversion as irrational. They justify this with math—studies show that people are willing to overpay to insure against financial loss. However, according to Nassim Taleb, loss aversion is an adaptive phenomenon because it helps us survive. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s take on loss aversion.

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.

The Fine Line Between Nationalism and Racism

What is the difference between nationalism and racism? In what ways are the two concepts linked? In his book Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson claims that nationalism and racism are two completely different concepts, although they are often discussed together. However, since the book was written, some critics claim that nationalism and racism are inherently connected. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between nationalism and racism.

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

Social Proof Bias: Why We Follow the Crowd

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Social Proof Bias

What is social proof bias? What is the harm in following the herd? Social proof bias is the tendency to have faith in the prevailing consensus and the belief that the majority always knows better. This tendency can be particularly dangerous during stressful situations where you may tend to make ill-thought-out decisions. Read on to learn more about the social proof bias.