What is Robustness?

Are your plans in life robust?

Most people use this word in day-to-day conversations without knowing what it really means. A robust system, is a system that can take a variety of different inputs, but still have a consistent output. An example would be certain websites, which when you login with your username, does not require it to be case-sensitive. You can enter in any combination of your username with either all-caps or none at all and it would produce the same response.

This whole concept of being able to take on different inputs while producing the same output is an important understanding for those of us who would like to improve ourselves. We have talked previously about why goals are important. And if we are to achieve those goals effectively, we must take into account the fact that the world is often not in our control. However, the system that we design and operate with is something that we can change. Therefore, whenever you set out to do anything (an essay, a work of art, scheduling an appointment, studying for an exam), make sure that you take contingencies into account and consider all the possibilities which may affect your work.

A simple example that most people can relate to is writing sentences. When people write sentences, there are often times when ambiguity may arise depending on the style that the reader is accustomed to. When proofreading your own work, make sure that the phrasing is unambiguous such that no matter who your audience is, they will be able to understand the message.