Skip to main content

Not Going With The Flow


A few days ago, I read the quote, "Only dead fish go with the flow."

My whole life, I tried to go against the flow. As a born rebel, I never learned to go with the flow, and I always tried to get things done my way (at least I tried and failed sometimes and succeeded many times). More or less, I was satisfied with how things were going (a sound-minded person doesn't need more than that). Then, things happened, and you fell into the trap of society, thinking you need to change some things in your life to make it work. You start believing one side of the story as reality; you try to go with the flow, and you stop fighting as hard as you used to. You become so resilient that your instinct to fight back dies, and all you get is a metaphorical dead fish and the flow of society's opinion. Resilience against this simply doesn't work; it's not an option. It's a sissy move just to maintain the status quo (my failed experiment).

What you really need is to become anti-fragile, a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Fragile things break under stress; they cannot sustain the volatile conditions of the world. So, the opposite of fragile wouldn't be things that simply don't break but rather things that, when put under pressure, get stronger. Anti-fragile things thrive on redundancy and chaos; optimization is not their primary goal. They are unlike fragile things which are optimized for better performance in specific conditions and perish when such conditions change. For example, a minimalist with fewer possessions might perish in a disaster, whereas a survivalist who has stocked up on many things he might never need will not only survive but thrive in such a scenario.

After a long time, this one is for not being the dead fish and with the spirit of going against the flow.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

the first post

From the reader’s point of view, I would want to see three areas covered in my first blog post: Who am I? An observer, an engineer, and a rebel. No, not the one with firearms. Why am I blogging? When you have so much on your mind and want to put it in the public domain, I thought it’s time to make it a little organized. Ahha, now you are thinking that there are platforms for that like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Then why go old school? Well, I believe in a little privacy, less censorship, and to be honest, this way you will be a little less prejudiced about things. What will I be blogging about? Something about this, something about that, but mostly politics, science, and some spiritual stuff which crosses my mind. But if you have some ideas and are unable to put them into words, you are most welcome to suggest them in the comments. You will see them in future posts (I certainly love to put some emojis here and there).

Keeping Up With The Change

     The world is in constant and rapid change, and you are the outcome of the experience of these changes. We have a tendency to resist changes that we don't want around us. Understanding what fuels this tendency is very important, as the outcome of our resistance brings actions that can forever change the course of our efforts. So, how and what drives our emotions that create the tendency to resist change?      The most significant of all is the feeling of being redundant to society, the insecurity of not being able to participate in the new adaptation of generations. There are different changes that come from various aspects and perspectives of society's functions, some being progressive and some being degenerative, which is subject to debate and not discussed here. There are some questions that need to be answered, such as "Can there be any solution that can make the transition of change smoother?" and "How are changes made acceptable to the resisting m...

'The Sirens of Titan': A Journey Through Vonnegut's Masterpiece"

 The Sirens of Titan" by Kurt Vonnegut is not just a science fiction novel; it's a profound commentary on human existence, free will, and the absurdity of life. Having read this masterpiece, I felt compelled to share my thoughts and reflections on this unique journey. The story follows Malachi Constant, a wealthy man from Earth, as he is manipulated into joining a space expedition that takes him to Mars, Mercury, and finally Titan. Along the way, he encounters Winston Niles Rumfoord, a man who has become unstuck in time, and Salo, an alien robot with a mysterious mission. Vonnegut masterfully weaves themes of free will and determinism throughout the novel. The characters' journeys are shaped by forces beyond their control, prompting readers to question the nature of human existence. Reading "The Sirens of Titan" made me reflect on the randomness and purpose of life. The novel's satirical tone and profound questions left me pondering the nature of human existe...