Introducing The Antifragile Athlete
An antifragile athlete – what the hell is that?
I know, it sounds like some made-up buzzword. But this concept could be a major game-changer for your training as an athlete.
Antifragile is a term coined by philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb that describes the ability to not only withstands stress, but actually become stronger as a result of it (Taleb, 2012). In other words, it's the opposite of being fragile.
Consider the most classic example: when you lift weights, your muscles don't just get stronger when everything is going smoothly. They actually get stronger when you push them to the limit and break them down. That's because the process of tearing and repairing muscle fibers is what ultimately leads to muscle growth.
This same idea can also apply to your mind and overall well-being. When faced with adversity — whether that be a tough workout, a challenging situation, or a difficult emotion – it can be tempting to try to avoid or fight against it. But if you can learn to embrace it and instead, see it as an opportunity to grow, you can be presented with a unique opportunity to become antifragile.
Sounds unrealistic? We have a wide range of research that backs this claim up. Various researchers have found that:
As Dr. Todd Kashdan points out in his book The Upside of Your Darkside, high levels of comfort can be associated with low levels of well-being. In other words, we can get too comfortable, even addicted to comfort.
According to Dr. Anna Lembke, addiction specialist at Stanford Med, constantly saying “yes” to things that bring us pleasure can eventually lead us to anhedonia or the inability to experience pleasure. Read that again! And one more time for good measure!
Stress, pressure, fear and other unpleasant emotions often help us focus, feel motivated and reach peak performance.
Most (certainly not all) individuals who experience trauma do not descend into post-traumatic growth disorder (PTSD), but instead experience post-traumatic growth (PTG). While they wouldn’t wish for their trauma, they feel they make meaning of it and grow stronger as a result of it (Kaufman, 2021).
Now, we’re not saying you should seek out adversity for the sake of it. However, when it comes your way, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a result of it.
Ever had a nagging injury that just wouldn't go away, and was really frustrating? Instead of giving up or getting caught up in the negative emotions, use it as an opportunity to focus on other areas of your training.
Sprain your right hand and can’t dribble, shoot or catch? Work on your left hand.
Feeling miserable after a heart-breaking loss? Lean into what happened and learn from the mistakes that were made so you can come back bigger, better, stronger and smarter the next time around.
So, how can you develop antifragility as an athlete? For starters, subscribe to our blog! We’ll be dropping daily science and tips to help you navigate your antifragile journey!
Make sure to check back tomorrow to learn what lobsters and vulnerability have to do with antifragility…
Until then — here’s to your antifragility!
Kashdan, T. B., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2014). The upside of your dark side: Why being your whole self--not just your" good" self--drives success and fulfillment. Penguin.
Kaufman, S. B. (2021). Transcend: The new science of self-actualization. Penguin.
Lembke, A. (2021). Dopamine nation: Finding balance in the age of indulgence. Penguin.
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder (Vol. 3). Random House.
