heed thy black swans...

... it's only a mirage that they come in a row.


Happened to read the below excerpt from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book on improbability The Black Swan *right* before I had the chance to do this today. (Full taped version coming soon...here)

"Seize any opportunity, or anything that looks like an opportunity. They are rare, much rarer than you think. Remember that positive Black Swans have a necessary first step: you need to be exposed to them. Many people do not realize that they are getting a lucky break in life when they get it. If a big publisher (or a big art dealer or a movie executive or a hotshot banker or a big thinker) suggests an appointment, cancel anything you have planned: you may never see such a window open up again. I am sometimes shocked at how little people realize that these opportunities do not grow on trees. Collect as many free nonlottery tickets (those with open-ended payoffs) as you can, and, once they start paying off, do not discard them. Work hard, not in grunt work, but in chasing such opportunities and maximizing exposure to them."

And now you understand why I changed the flight I had scheduled for today to tomorrow; I think I've snubbed enough lottery tickets...


Photography is by the indefatigable Rodney Smith.