Game of Non-Linear Returns

We have heard of non-linear equations in high school maths, but for most, including me, it is very difficult to understand the practical applications or the system of thinking behind this idea.

Linear return is simple. You give x, you take back y. An example of linear return would be a job. You work for X amount of hours and in return you receive your Y salary.

Non-linear return is where if you give X then you are not guaranteed a result Y. You may even get 0 in return in objective terms (learning from mistakes and all the bullshit is not included).

All of human endeavours, especially ones that have an impact on your life and those around you, are the result of non-linear returns. You start a business and you might not earn anything from it for a couple of years, and then all of a sudden you get way more than you might have initially thought of. A painter might have painted for thousands of hours in his life and never been paid a penny, and that is how he may even die, because his return on that was 0 because of various other reasons.

The problem we face is that the more of the linear game you play, the more your mind cannot grasp the non-linear. That means the further you stray from the natural way of outcomes, which is the non-linear way. My theory is that the number of years you work in a job is directly proportional to how risky you might feel about your first business venture. From childhood, non-linearity comes to us naturally, and by systematic changes in our thinking by school and jobs and institutions, we move towards linear thinking, despite the fact that everything in nature and in this world is a result of non-linearity.

Comprehending non-linearity becomes even tougher if you have already failed a couple of times. If your equation has yielded 0 a couple of times, you might start to think that maybe linearity is better. At least you are not at risk of going negative. But remember, it is a virus, it is death and it is stagnation, and it must be avoided at all cost.

One must find a way to keep the non-linearity in his mind alive if one wants to pursue anything great at all.