On the human level, progress depends on how we explain obstacles to ourselves. Growth mindset research shows that interpreting difficulty as feedback, not fate, improves persistence and learning (Carol Dweck, Mindset, 2006). Likewise, Taleb’s Antifragile (2012) argues that certain systems gain from volatility, provided stressors are bounded and informative. By deliberately asking, “What is this setback teaching me about the terrain?” we convert anxiety into orientation and cultivate strategies that strengthen with use. [...]
