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AntifragilityMental model

Lindy effect

Эффект Линди · Lindy · Lindy эффект · Закон Линди

For non-perishable things (ideas, books, technologies), the longer something has been around, the longer it's likely to stick around.

Plain explanation

A book in print for 50 years is more likely to still be read in 50 more than this year's bestseller is. A 200-year-old technology has more remaining life than a 2-year-old startup. Time-tested has filtered through the silent graveyard.

Why it matters

Lindy is a cheap proxy for robustness when you have no other information. Old books, old habits, old physical things, old systems - they passed selection.

Practical example

Tools: a 30-year-old programming editor will likely outlast a 2-year-old «next-gen» one. The aesthetic of the new is not evidence of durability.

How to use
  1. 1When choosing between options, all else equal, prefer the older one.
Read the original book

This part of the knowledge base is inspired by the book. Go to the Ukrainian edition to explore the concept in depth.

Source notes
  • · Антихрупкость - Lindy effect