17 Dec 2025 · 3 min
Short podcast episode from Brian Johnson introducing Nassim Taleb’s concept of antifragility—distinguishing fragile, resilient, and antifragile responses to stress—and encouraging listeners to cultivate antifragility. The episode also promotes Brian Johnson’s Optimize membership, describing benefits like Philosopher’s Notes, masterclasses, and resources for optimal living.
If you like the audio version of the Optimize podcast, we think you'll really like the new video podcast. Search for Optimize with Brian Johnson in the video podcast section of iTunes and get Video Ones, PNTVs and more. You're listening to the Optymyze with Brian Johnson podcast. Unlock the full Optymyze experience and join over 10,000 premium members at opymyze.me foreign. Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In his great book Antifragile, Nassim Taleb walks us through the fact that there's a big difference between being fragile, being resilient, and being antifragile. In short, if you're fragile and life hits you hard, you break. If you're resilient and life hits you hard, you withstand more and eventually you break. But if you're antifragile, when life hits you hard, you actually get stronger. Think about that. The more you get kicked around and challenged by life, the stronger you get. Wouldn't that be awesome? As Nassim tells us, and we would be wise to remember, a wind extinguishes a candle, but fuels a fire. Let's build a bonfire. And on that note, how about this gem from Rumi, I am burning. If anyone lacks tinder, let him set his rubbish ablaze with my fire. Hey, this is Brian with a quick question for you. Do you know what the word optimize literally means? It's from the Latin optimus, which means the best. In our case, we're talking about helping you create the best version of you. So another quick question. What's the best version of you look like? How does that version of you show up in the world? Helping you be that version of yourself all day, every day is what our Optimize membership program is all about. Now, we obviously give away a ton of content for free and we give our 10,000 premium members a ton More members get hundreds of Philosopher's notes, which are 20 minute book summaries that help you apply the best big ideas from the best optimal living books to your life today. Plus, members get dozens of hour long Optimal Living 101 masterclasses, more wisdom in less time for your busy life on everything from the science of setting and achieving goals, how to optimize your energy via the fundamentals of nutrition, movement, sleep and meditation, and how to be super productive day in and day out. While of course enjoying the whole process, every facet of your life optimized equals you at your absolute best.
