Antifragile systems [Reflections]

In titling his new book, Nassim Nicholas Taleb has coined a new word: "antifragile." I was not surprised that such a word did not previously exist, because, like most people, I had thought that the opposite of "fragile" was "robust." But Taleb argues that something that is robust merely tolerates adverse or unexpected conditions, whereas something that is antifragile thrives-its performance actually improves. He uses the example of a mailed package labeled "Fragile, do not shake." The opposite would say, "Antifragile, please shake."