Thursday, November 19, 2020

Reds in a Row

“The Gambler’s Fallacy” is the erroneous belief that an event that has no memory is more likely to happen because it has not happened, or vice versa. 

Like thinking the next spin of a Roulette table is likely to be Black because it has been Red 8 times in a row. It is still (just less than) 50% (because of the Casino’s edge). Every spin has the same probabilities. The past does not matter. 

In the world of money and merit, we make the opposite mistake. Besides skills and knowledge, other things matter. Capital and Containers. If you have good luck, and build capital and barriers to entry, your odds do change. Your capacity to handle ups and downs. Your opportunity set. 8 Reds in a row, even through good fortune, inheritance, the lottery of birth, prejudice, or a chance connection, will completely change the game. 

If you capitalise your luck rather than consuming it. If you release your misfortune, rather than compounding it. If you consciously choose the events to connect.



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