Why Bloggers Are Better Than Uber Drivers
By Nassim Taleb’s definition, they are more ‘antifragile’.
In his famous book, Antifragile, Nassim Taleb argues that we are living in a world we don’t understand. People who think they’re safe, are actually vulnerable to rare shock events (known as black swans), which can kill them.
Taleb divides the whole world (things, people, objects, events) into three categories:
- Fragile — those, vulnerable to shocks, such as economic crisis, or an epidemic.
- Robust — those able to withstand the shocks and not change their inherent nature.
- Antifragile — those, who become better, more creative, richer, etc. by shocks and black swans, like a hydra that grows an additional head if you cut off one.
Practitioners are antifragile, theorists are not. The mafia leader is more powerful than an academic because he knows what the «real world» is, and how it works. He is a practitioner. And Uber drivers, Nassim claims, are antifragile (they don’t care what’s happening — they’ll have clients) compared to day traders.
Although Nassim himself worked as a stock trader, but never drove a taxi.
But I would argue with Nassim Taleb and say that a blogger — not a taxi driver — is the most antifragile occupation there is.
A taxi driver might be antifragile now, but he is vulnerable to the inevitable black swan of self-driving cars — like a turkey waiting for Thanksgiving. It’s a matter of 15–20 years before this happens. Maybe longer. But it will happen.
A blogger, though only benefits from everything that’s happening: both good and bad.
Coronavirus outbreak? Let’s blog about it! Taxi drivers left jobless on the streets because everyone is riding self-driving Uber? That might be a good idea for an article or video.
“Yeah yeah, but there is always the risk of the platform,” you might say.
Good point. Rules might change. Medium.com or YouTube might close down.
But if you did everything right, it won’t be a problem. Platforms change all the time, and your audience will flow away with you, considering that it trusts you.
If that’s not antifragility, tell me what is.
This is a chapter from my latest book, Blog Is a Platform: What Blogging Can Do For You and Your Career.
