“The rare event is that which is difficult to predict and improbable, yet has a massive impact”
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Simplified Meaning:
Sometimes, things happen that we never saw coming and seemed very unlikely, but they change everything in a big way. Imagine a huge lottery win. It's very rare that someone wins, and it’s tough to guess who will win because so many people buy tickets. But when it happens, it can completely change the winner’s life instantly. Think about big events in history like the discovery of penicillin. Scientists weren’t looking to discover it at the time, and it was an accident, but it drastically changed medicine and saved many lives. People couldn’t predict it, and it seemed improbable before it happened, but it had a massive positive impact. Another example is a natural disaster, like a massive earthquake. These are hard to predict accurately and don’t happen often. But when they do, they can cause a lot of damage and affect the lives of many people. In our own lives, we should understand that these rare and surprising events can occur, and they can have huge effects. By being aware that unexpected things might happen, we can try to be more prepared and adaptable, making us better able to handle whatever comes our way.