EPISODE · Jun 6, 2025 · 27 MIN
Uncertainty: How to Handle Life's Surprises (+ What is a Black Swan event) - w/ Nicolas Vereecke
from Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement · host Sam Webster Harris | Growth Mindset Psychology
Ever felt like life just sucker-punched you out of nowhere? That's exactly what Nassim Taleb calls a Black Swan event. Most people think they can predict the future by looking at patterns. They study charts, analyze trends, and feel safe in their little bubble of certainty. However, the biggest events that shape our lives—market crashes, pandemics, breakthrough innovations—are the ones nobody sees coming. .. Beyond that, it's about how your brain tricks you into thinking you understand a world that's fundamentally unpredictable: Stop trying to predict everything and start building resilience for anything Rebuild your investment portfolio and life plan to deal with shocks Prepare for worst-case scenarios instead of hoping for the best NEW SHOW - How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 ------- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Radical Uncertainty: How to deal with surprises and Black Swan events - w/ Nicolas Vereecke Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Navigating Life's Unpredictability 02:02 Understanding the Black Swan Concept 02:41 Real-World Examples and Implications 04:54 Investment Strategies for Unpredictable Events 12:00 Mediocristan vs. Extremistan 18:39 Ludic fallacy 18:39 The Ludic Fallacy and Risk Assessment 21:46 Conclusion and Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What this episode covers
Ever felt like life just sucker-punched you out of nowhere? That's exactly what Nassim Taleb calls a Black Swan event. Most people think they can predict the future by looking at patterns. They study charts, analyze trends, and feel safe in their little bubble of certainty. However, the biggest events that shape our lives—market crashes, pandemics, breakthrough innovations—are the ones nobody sees coming. .. Beyond that, it's about how your brain tricks you into thinking you understand a world that's fundamentally unpredictable: Stop trying to predict everything and start building resilience for anything Rebuild your investment portfolio and life plan to deal with shocks Prepare for worst-case scenarios instead of hoping for the best NEW SHOW - How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast Can't find it on your player? RSS feed - https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8 ------- UPGRADE to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Radical Uncertainty: How to deal with surprises and Black Swan events - w/ Nicolas Vereecke Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Navigating Life's Unpredictability 02:02 Understanding the Black Swan Concept 02:41 Real-World Examples and Implications 04:54 Investment Strategies for Unpredictable Events 12:00 Mediocristan vs. Extremistan 18:39 Ludic fallacy 18:39 The Ludic Fallacy and Risk Assessment 21:46 Conclusion and Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NOW PLAYING
Uncertainty: How to Handle Life's Surprises (+ What is a Black Swan event) - w/ Nicolas Vereecke
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m