I just finished my first reading of Taleb’s Antifragile and started listening to All Quiet on the Western Front. (I haven’t read it since middle school.) I noticed a principle from Antifragile in Remarque’s historical fiction of The Great War.
Advice From a Position of Trust
The main group of young men were inspired by their school teacher, Kantorek, to volunteer for the German army. War was very different from what they had expected. After the first of them dies the narrator reflects:
Naturally we couldn’t blame Kantorek for this. Where would the world be if one brought every man to book? There were thousands of Kantoreks — all of whom convinced that they were acting for the best, in a way that cost them nothing.
chapter 1, 16m 25s. Bold added
Benefit Without Risk
If I understand Taleb correctly then Kantorek (and his generation) was benefiting from optionality — one where he reaps the upside (possible national victory) and others the downside (death in the war). Taleb rails on this sort of arrangement at length in Antifragile.
Don’t Abuse Trust
Managers can face this sort of issue. I’ve had employees counsel with me before making a decision on a job offer from somewhere else. If they are a good worker then I benefit from persuading them to stay. But they may be declining an upside much larger than the downside I’m avoiding.
I’m definitely not an expert on optionality. I’m just practicing to recognize it in the wild. Whether or not this is a good example of optionality the conflict of interests is clear and I’ve dealt with it.
Declare Your Bias
In these cases I honor my obligation to represent the company and it’s interests without manipulating my employee. I make clear what benefits me and the company. I make sure they understand I’m not entirely impartial.
You might say that bias should be assumed. Anyone that takes advice without considering the source is just being naïve. Well, that doesn’t do it for me.
I work hard to have a trusting relationship with my employees. It isn’t fair for me to ignore the possibility that they might think I’m speaking as a completely independent friend when I must speak as an employee. (Reminds me of Taleb’s comments about Lawrence of Arabia: never trust a man that isn’t free.)
