Uncertainty, Black Swan, Katha Upanishad, Bhaja Govindam

I recently read two books by Nicholas Nassim Taleb. Fooled by Randomness and Black Swan. Both these books deal with the randomness and uncertainty in our world and how we are naturally blind to them.

I also read a few Hindu Religious books: The Katha Upanishad (English translation by Hume), Bhaja Govindam (English version by Rajaji), and Bagavad Gita (English translation by Eknath Easwaran).

I found surprisingly the following ideas which are common:

1. NNT says that world is not predictable and one should take steps to prevent being a sucker. He also goes on to say that increase your chances with a positive Black Swan event by collecting opportunities. The Bhagavad Gita says "Do thy duty and forget about the fruits". Basically do things with out expecting rewards. Further Gita goes on to say control your senses. Well one cannot become a sucker if senses are controlled and the intellect is allowed to function properly.

2. Fractals, Self affinity, Self similar concepts that Mandelbrot brought in by connecting the dots... Katha Upanishad describes the layers of a human being Purusha as the ultimate, unmanifest(avyakta), Brahman(self), intellect (Buddhi), mind ( manas), Senses (indriya), sense objects. It is all composed of the same manifested in manifold ways.

3. Platonicity or the arrogance of knowledge is cited by NNT as the source of blindness towards Black Swans. Well Adi Sankara deals with this in his first four lines. One cannot argue using panini grammer with death( A Black Swan I'd say. No body is prepared) when it arrives. All knowledge is useless when Black Swan hits you.

4. NNT shows that the very fact we are here, means that we were so so lucky!!!. Now look at it through the lens of a great tamil scholar: "Rare it is, Rare it is, to be born a Human. Rare it is to be born with out deformity, blindness, deafness. Rare it is to be born with sound knowledge".

5. The Inability of the Human beings to deal with Abstract and falling for the Narrative fallacy.... Well Our Upanishads talk about nirvana, as only experiencable and not describable, too Abstract. Hmm.... Sounds to me like the worship of idols, rituals, etc to me.... Needed but one needs to be aware of them as to what they are.

To sum it up, it felt good to read these books....
LS Jeyaraman