Sometimes there are days when it seems as if the universe has turned against you. Bad news comes down like rain of fire all at once. Resources run out, assets are destroyed, and opportunities disappear as if they were derailed by an enemy sabotage squad. Subjectively, it feels as if it will never dawn on you again.
At such moments I am reminded of what it is like when, during a jiu-jitsu fight, your opponent has taken a good position and tries to strangle you from behind. You panic inside, your consciousness clouds and darkness thickens. Your hand spontaneously wants to tap. But suddenly, for some unknown reason, you decide to wait some more time.
It is hard to say whether this is stubbornness, boldness, or stupidity. However, to your surprise, a couple of seconds later your opponent dissolves his dangerous grip. He mumbles in a dazed, frustrated voice, "I don't understand. Why didn't you give up? Is there something wrong with my technique?" There's a smile on your face in response. After all, you don't have to tell him your secret.
In many areas of life, whether in war, politics, science, business, or jiu-jitsu, excruciating uncertainty often lingers right up to the end. You can lose one position after another at first, but eventually to defeat all opponents, crushing all obstacles in your way. The task of man is not to worry about winning or losing. On the contrary, it is necessary to dissolve into the fight with nothing left. For he who does absolutely everything he can paradoxically becomes invulnerable to the result. That's anti-fragility, isn't it? And such "impudence" fate does not mind rewarding. What fate punishes with certainty is a premature exit from the game.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
Kyiv, 31.03.22
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As a business therapist, I help tech founders with rapid business transformation. My specialty is accelerating decision-making at the intersection of business and personality.