Unlearning 101: Unlearning from the Perspective of a Turkey

Shared by JohnH

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Being the day before Thanksgiving here in America, I thought I would recount a wonderful story from Nassim Taleb’s outstanding book, The Black Swan:Turkey  

 "Consider a turkey that is fed every day. Every single feeding will firm up the bird’s belief that it is the general rule of life to be fed every day by friendly members of the human race “looking out for its best interests,” as a politician would say. On the afternoon of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, something unexpected will happen to the turkey. It will incur a revision of belief.”

Taleb goes on to add this: “Think of the feeding again: What can a turkey learn about what is in store for it tomorrow from the events of yesterday? A lot, perhaps, but certainly a little less than it thinks, and it is just that “little less” that may make all the difference.”

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