Fr. Mike Schmitz, of Bible in a Year and Ascension Presents fame, first introduced me to the concept of anti-fragility in a homily in 2016. He has spoken about it a few times since (here's a video he did in 2019), and the concept has continued to resonate with me so deeply that I read through the source material, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Tale in my post-doctorate free time.
A pursuit of happiness has also lead me to this concept of antifragility. Through exposure to Arthur Brooks, one of the leading experts on happiness and a devout Catholic, I came across this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6yPcEk93nk.
Herein lies the short form of antifragility: that which does not kill me, only makes me stronger.
Beyond resilience, antifragility does not include the ability to withstand pressure - think of a steel plate. Instead, it means that something under pressure doesn't break: fragile; doesn't just endure: resilience; but that it becomes stronger as a result of the pressure: antifragility.
To be sure, we must account for stressors, pressures, hardships, and even attacks that cause true damage and loss.
Antifragility should not inspire us to seek out cannonball moments.
However, we can label all of the following as antifragile - they all get stronger under from appropriate dosages of pressure:
- The human body
- The human mind
- The human spirit
- The faith of a believer
- The Catholic Church
- You
- Me
- Our students
- Our teachers
- Our communities
Imagine the zone of proximal development in a classroom. Consider inoculations that infect us with just enough of a virus for our body to develop immunity. Think of an athlete or musician pushing themselves in their area in order to do that thing even better and better. Reflect on communities that grow closer together and have a clearer sense of purpose after a hardship.
Remember yourself as a result of your cannonball moment(s).
Stronger.
Better.
Antifragile.
