Day 262: On Fragility Caused by Comfort

Diseases of civilization result from the attempt by humans to make life comfortable for ourselves against our own interest, since the comfortable is what fragilizes.

—Nassim Taleb 261

There’s no doubt that modern comforts make our lives easier. However, while the benefits are clear, there are also disadvantages of living in so much comfort: we rarely get to experience the discomfort our ancestors had been dealing with on a daily basis, and consequently, we are less able to handle it when it manifests in our lives.

That’s why I’ve mentioned more than several times throughout the book how important it is to voluntarily put yourself in uncomfortable situations. One additional thought that is related to this topic is to think of experiencing discomfort as a vaccine.

For example, I’ve fasted so many times on so many occasions that now whenever I find myself in a situation in which I’m forced to fast for some reason, I don’t mind it. I’ve essentially immunized myself against the need to eat often, and this has made me a stronger person.

The immunization you get from practicing discomfort quickly adds up, making you more resilient in all areas of life. Think of the ways in which you make yourself fragile through always choosing comfort over discomfort, and every now and then temporarily forego that comfort, in order to toughen up.