Homo Deus; A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari
“Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable.
“We forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society, but also our thoughts, fears and dreams.
“The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and inescapable part of who we are.
“Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures.”
We can’t know how tomorrow will look. Before Model T’s showed up few believed the horse-drawn carriage would disappear. Or 25 years ago in Blockbuster’s heyday, who knew they’d vanish – and we’d have #NetflixAndChill? What’s next? Land lines, keys; cash? Who’s next? Cashiers, taxi drivers; the mail man?
No doubt someone’s screaming that we’re losing the precious good ‘ole days! Good for who? Him? Her? You? Me? Nostalgic longing. Think – were those days really happy? Or is that just a story we tell ourselves?
When I reflect on how humanity is simply subjective experience – and what that actually means, I can fall into a funk – in a hurry. Mostly though I’m swept up with everyone else and believe the story of today. Stories give us meaning; they unite us. Yuval Noah Harari says: “All large-scale human cooperation is ultimately based on our belief in imagined orders.”
Let’s imagine what lies around the corner . . .
If we must have our stories . . . let’s dream big and envision an alternative future worth living.
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“The past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions.” – Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
IMAGINE – John Lennon
