Embrace the Chaos

We build cages we call 'security' then wonder why we're trapped.

You see, predictability is a slow-acting poison.
And a deadly one at that…

From a young age, we're overwhelmed by the complexity of it all.
Navigating complexity is challenging, after all.
But we're born ready to deal with it…

It's called childlike curiosity.

The issue is, most adults are not equipped to handle that curiosity.

If you're like most people, you know what I'm talking about.

Instead of being encouraged or taught how to pursue that curiosity…
Instead of learning how to navigate the complexity it leads you through…

The butterfly's wings get clipped.

The worst thing is, many people don't even get to experience the butterfly phase at all.

Their creativity stifled so much that they're stuck as caterpillars…

Gnawing at whichever leaves they're placed upon.

What ends up happening is that people grow up mistaking the predictability
imposed by their parents, their teachers, their environment, as all that life has to offer…

The illusion of safety and security.

They're told a simple tale:

• Go to school

• Get a degree

• Have a career

• Save and retire

Sounds comfy. And for billions of people, it's the only clear path to growth and success.

Perhaps, a couple hundred years ago, it may very well have been.

Today, though… The rate of change is so much greater,
that this 'safe and secure' path to growth and success
might as well be stagnation and decay.

If this is all you're doing, you're falling behind.

Entropy is gnawing back at everyone's foundations.
And frustration is taking over the world.

But complexity and chaos are not something to be avoided.
That's where the beauty lies. The new and undefined.

As Feynman beautifully puts it, he can imagine: “The complicated actions inside, which also have a beauty. It's not just beauty at this dimension of one centimeter, there's also beauty at the smaller dimensions.”

Whether we are diving at the micro scale or pondering the wonders of the Universe.
Beauty is all around us, swirling around in the whirlwind of reality.
We mustn't be frightened by it. We must open our eyes.

From the dawn of humanity, as much as we've feared chaos…
It's been the catalyst for our progress.

The lightning bolt that struck the first fires.
The collapse of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance that followed.
The Age of Information and the Third Industrial Revolution shaking things up today…

Our development is undeniable.

Whether it's engineers, entrepreneurs, or small-time creators…

Through purposeful action and resilient systems, we've been harnessing the chaos and enabling the wonders of civilization for thousands of years.

Disorder isn't the enemy we've been taught to fear.
It's the source of experience and novel ideas that lead to creation.
And it's our duty to navigate this chaos and let our creativity flourish.

There are two ways of going about it…

For the master, who's seen it all, action can be dictated from above.
Like Leonardo da Vinci translating his vision into reality with the ease of a pen stroke.

For the novice, action must be discovered through courage and experience.
You must face the chaos, and embrace the disorder of Anarchic Action.

It's easy to take the common understanding of the word anarchy at face value.

But don't be fooled.

Anarchy doesn't mean lawlessness.

It means accepting that rules can take another form.

And it just so happens that rules which emerge
naturally tend to outperform formally-imposed ones.

The beautiful rules that emerge from humanity's
dance with nature's current of chaotic systems.

Anarchy means unshackling your creativity from the rigid prison that stifles it.

At the same time…

Anarchic Action means doing in the absence of a definite plan.
Accepting your doubt and wading into the haze…
Trusting that you'll find your way…

One step at a time.

It doesn't mean recklessly charging through uncertainty…
Much like how people recklessly charge through their given path in life.
Unaware and unprepared for the moment when they inevitably find themselves lost.

You should be purposeful in your action.
You should look to discover new, uncharted territory.
But be careful and deliberate, so you don’t lose your way in the haze.

Anarchic Action is refusing to let 'security' or the unknown hold you down.

Your curiosity and your creativity desire to be free.
Why wouldn't you let them guide you for a while?

As long as you're careful, not to wade too far into the unknown, and you find your own set of rules for the game of life, you can overcome the need for sticking to the beaten path, without losing your way.

Your own self-guiding principles can help you carve your path with confidence.
So that you may go out into the rain and enjoy the beauty of creation.

And as you gain more and more experience…
You'll enjoy more and more chaotic storms.

For an Actionsmith, the forge is the embodiment of chaos.
They don't fear the heat, the noise, the uncertainty of the creative process.
They apply their will to them, to shape their energy into something new. Something great.

Creation.

Actionsmiths embrace the chaos and discover their unique way to thrive.
Not through the brittle illusion of security provided by others.
But through their own curiosity and creativity.

Like the farmers who discovered how to grow their crops to feed humanity…
Through the droughts and the storms and the fickleness of nature's whims…

Like the entrepreneur who discovers novel solutions to painful problems we all face.

Like the inventor who conjures up an original device.

You can also be a creator.

But you must be willing to change.
Find the place to hang your cocoon.
And dissolve your imposed structure.

Only then can you grow your wings and be carried on the winds of chaos.

Because, you see…

You can't create freely when you rely on external structure to direct your life's path.

If you must wait for someone else's permission…
If your progress is dependent on another's…
You're part of a fragile system.

And this is how most of society has been for a very long time.

A fragile system, that buckles under pressure, and fractures under heavy storms.

Outdated and brittle…

You may have noticed the consequences of this around you.
If you haven't, maybe you should look around more.
But there is a solution to all this.

A robust, rigorous, independent network of systems that lay an antifragile foundation.

Nassim Taleb coined the term 'antifragile' to refer to things that gain from disorder.

The Hydra, which turns the loss of its head into an opportunity to grow two more.

When you grow an antifragile network, chaos stops being a threat.
It becomes opportunity. To learn. To create. To thrive.

Embrace the chaos.

Rome fell because it clung to brittle power structures.
The Renaissance rose because it embraced the chaos of its collapse.

It was the informal institutions of medieval Europe that embraced and navigated the chaos which ushered a new era of discovery and creativity.

And through the upheaval that defined this era, and the collapse of the previous, fragile centers of power…

Trade, culture, and science flourished, as new ideas communicated and spread through the minds of the masses.

Unfortunately, this wave of creativity has stalled at times.

The need for order and security proving strong enough to overcome the natural creativity of mankind.

But you don't have to submit to the same fate. You can do more.

At your individual level, you can develop the conditions necessary for your own Renaissance.

Take a swing at your established order.

Uproot your anchor. Question your assumptions.

Are you who you want to be?
Are you where you want to be?
Are you prepared to ride the storm?

Seed the wind that will fuel your action.
Sow the storm that will carry you to your peak.

Build your independent world of opportunity, true to your vision.

Only then will you find comfort in discomfort and live your life with clarity of purpose.

And here's how you can do it:

Shake up your routine.

As part of my own experiments with discomfort and chaos…
Great clarity has come from cold showers.
I know, I know. They suck…

But hear me out.

Mustering the courage to face this obstacle…
Overcoming it through your own power…
It's quite an extraordinary feeling.

And it's a simple thing to try out.
It doesn't take long at all.
You already shower…

And it can be such a powerful exercise.

Not gonna go into all the health benefits now.
What matters is facing the obstacle and overcoming it.

For me, it means proving that I can follow through on difficult decisions.

Do this enough times, in enough ways, and insurmountable challenges become effortless.

Think of yourself 10, 20, 30 years from now.

Where could you be if you learned to sail through the heaviest storms?
Where would you arrive, after coursing through the ocean of opportunity?

The storms can get quite cold…
Wouldn't you rather be prepared?

So let me challenge you.

Let's step back into the forge.

With the courage to face the chaos, to begin your journey, to pursue your vision…

Mastery is within your grasp.

Use this opportunity to gather new insights…
Let the change carry you to places you've never imagined before…
And before you know it, you'll have gotten so far towards your ultimate end.

All that's left, is to keep doing it.
So you may eventually find the patterns.
And discover your own unique order in the chaos of life.

Embrace the Chaos.