---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fragile wants tranquility, the…"
description: "\"The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn't care too much.\" — Nassim Nicholas Taleb"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png"
---

#  The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from…

![“The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn't care too much.” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png)

> “The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn't care too much.”

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Systems that thrive on chaos are stronger than those seeking only stability.

**In simple terms:** Disorder can strengthen.

Key Takeaway

Embrace manageable stress.

Themes

antifragility resilience uncertainty

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- business
- personal development
- health
- finance

Key Concepts

systems theory robustness growth

Questions to Reflect On

- What chaos can you harness for growth?
- When is stability preferable?

A Different Perspective

Too much disorder can be destructive; balance is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Caring too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring-too-much/) [Disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Fragile Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile-wants-4676191/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Robust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robust/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Tranquility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tranquility/) [Tranquility Antifragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tranquility-antifragile-4676189/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wants Tranquility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-tranquility-4676190/)

## Related quotes

> [If you have more than one reason to do something (choose a doctor or veterinarian, hire a gardener or an employee, marry a person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-have-more-than-one-reason-to-do-something-choose-a-doctor-or/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [When you ask people, 'What's the opposite of fragile?,' they tend to say robust, resilient, adaptable, solid, strong. That's not it. The opposite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/when-you-ask-people-what-s-the-opposite-of-fragile-they-tend-to-say/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [The opposite of fragile is something that gains from disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-opposite-of-fragile-is-something-that-gains-from-disorder/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [I have respect for mother nature's methods of robustness (billions of years allow most of what is fragile to break); classical thought is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/i-have-respect-for-mother-nature-s-methods-of-robustness-billions-of/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [For the robust, an error is information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/for-the-robust-an-error-is-information/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [A washing machine needs constant maintenance. It doesn't want any harm. It wants tranquility, and you need someone to - you're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/a-washing-machine-needs-constant-maintenance-it-doesn-t-want-any-harm/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“Let today mark a new beginning for you. Give yourself permission to say NO without feeling guilty, mean, or selfish. Anybody who gets upset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/let-today-mark-a-new-beginning-for-you-give-yourself-permission-to/)

[Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/)

> [Being a nerd, which is to say going too far and caring too much about a subject, is the best way to make friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/being-a-nerd-which-is-to-say-going-too-far-and-caring-too-much-about/)

[Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/)

> [The "18/40/60" rule to happiness: At age 18, people care very much about what others think of them. By age 40, they learn not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-amen/the-18-40-60-rule-to-happiness-at-age-18-people-care-very-much-about/)

[Daniel Amen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-amen/)

> [We women don't care too much about getting our pictures on money as long as we can get our hands on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-baker-priest/we-women-don-t-care-too-much-about-getting-our-pictures-on-money-as/)

[Ivy Baker Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-baker-priest/)

> [Caring too much for objects can destroy you. Only—if you care for a thing enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/caring-too-much-for-objects-can-destroy-you-only-if-you-care-for-a/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [It is possible to care too much. It is possible to believe that you will never be as good as anyone else. And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/it-is-possible-to-care-too-much-it-is-possible-to-believe-that-you/)

[Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/)

> [I have a medical condition, all right. It's called caring too much, and it's incurable. Also, I have eczema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-have-a-medical-condition-all-right-it-s-called-caring-too-much-and/)

[Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/)

> [Most young people now are very vulnerable as to what the American film aficionados are going to say. They care too much about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-gerima/most-young-people-now-are-very-vulnerable-as-to-what-the-american/)

[Haile Gerima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-gerima/)

> [Years later, I figured out why he (Ivan Karp) was such a successful art dealer-this may sound strange, but I believe it was because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/years-later-i-figured-out-why-he-ivan-karp-was-such-a-successful-art/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

> [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. Then, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-nightmare-scenario-is-that-the-government-saves-citibank-once/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“One needs to go out and buy a lottery ticket in order to win. Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

[Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

## More Care quotes

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/)

[James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn't care too much.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifragile-grows-from-disorder-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Care"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifragile-grows-from-disorder-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_care_the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifr_565090.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile grows from disorder, and the robust doesn't care too much.” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The fragile wants tranquility, the antifragile...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifragile-grows-from-disorder-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-fragile-wants-tranquility-the-antifragile-grows-from-disorder-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
