The Prologue introduces the concept of antifragility and sets the stage for the rest of the book. Nassim Nicholas Taleb begins by defining antifragility as the property of a system that benefits from disorder and uncertainty, and that subsequently is able to adapt and improve from the stress. He argues that antifragility is the proper opposite of fragility, which is the property of a system that is harmed by stressors and uncertainty. Furthermore, antifragility goes beyond being resilient and robust, since these descriptors do not refer to qualities that are positively affected by adversity.

Taleb then goes on to argue that our modern world is too focused on minimizing risk and avoiding negative “black swans” (a term coined in his previous book of the same name, which refers to large scale events that are both unpredictable and highly impactful). He suggests that this approach is misguided, and that we should instead focus on creating systems that are antifragile and able to benefit from positive black swans. He then concludes the prologue by offering a roadmap for the book, breaking down the emphasis and direction for the seven books that comprise the text.