The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. And, it is becoming increasingly so as machine intelligence powers its way beyond intelligent minds and algorithms begin to guide human emotions. Far from maximizing human potential, such technological transformation is upgrading computers to the extent that it will empower a handful of tiny elite at the cost of most others who not only stand to get exploited but are being made irrelevant in the process too. The cumulative impact of emerging info-tech revolution is fueling global inequality like never before, while contributing to increasing social tensions which are dividing humankind into hostile camps.
Unless the situation is peeled to its last layer, it may not be clear where the world is headed and how indeed should we protect ourselves and the generations to follow. From ecological cataclysm to fake news epidemic and from chauvinistic nationalism to underrated bio-terrorism, the world is fast becoming a theatre of the absurd where the bull of progress is raging wild with anxiety and anger. Spare a moment and one will find that in the emerging social milieu the internal lives of individuals are being compromised. Little do we realize that an unprecedented pressure on our personal lives had ignited the Arab Spring, and has now sparked #Me Too movement? Clearly, there is more to come as our internal psychological mechanism remains under duress.
In his clear-eyed and searingly realistic assessment, Yuval Noah Harari draws lessons that celebrate human wisdom but without discounting human stupidity. Enlisting 21 carefully distilled lessons into 5 over-arching themes, the Oxford scholar traverses the world of despair emerging from unresolved technological and political challenges to underscore the significance of meditative resilience in a world of post-truth ignorance. It is a curious and reflective analysis of the existential challenges here and now, lessons that are borne out of our complicity in political biases, unabashed privileges and institutional oppression.
Harari keeps it plain and simple, locating lessons in our everyday acceptance of the so-called inevitable. Many of the social and political disruptions of our time can be located in ever more lonely lives we live in an ever more connected planet. Irrespective of how many virtual friends one may boast, it is an accepted fact that one cannot know more than 150 individuals. The facade of generating likes on the social media is not without serious psychological repercussions. Humans may have got everything under their control in their journey till now, but in the new age they are finding it hard to make sense of all that the technology has on offer.
As the title suggests, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a collection of essays written over time to grapple the present day predicament of existence. Much of what he writes emerges in response to the nagging question ‘why there is so much suffering in the world and in my own life?’ Harari contends that we are living in an age of bewilderment, when myths of all kind are collapsing – from religious myths about god and heavens to nationalist myths about the motherland and the nation-state, and from romantic myths about love and adventure to capitalist myths about economic growth and consumerism. Yet, the society continues to nurture myths.
Truth is a casualty in the process. The truth is that truth was never high on the agenda of Homo sapiens; instead they have been busy constructing stories. Be it religion or politics, the focus is to fit ourselves into some ready-made story such that we stay away from truth. This is how life has continued from generation to generation, making each animal play its part in the story. But without getting to know ourselves more, we will continue to believe stories. So if you want to know the truth about the universe, about the meaning of life, and about your own identity, explains Harari, the best place to start is by observing suffering and exploring what it is.
While one might not concur with all the lessons on offer, the infectious enthusiasm with which Harari writes makes it virtually impossible not to be carried away. The author of the global bestseller Sapiens has rooted his essays in everyday realities; the book however remains ambitious in scale. The essential take home message is to join the debate about the future of humanity. History is unlikely to give us any discounts or exempt us from the consequences if we continue to pursue our busy schedules. More people join the debate the better it is. The globalized world is in dire need of the empathetic imagination.
In spite of its unwieldy capaciousness, Harari espouses a fundamental truth about our scarred times: that nothing can insulate us from the vagaries of a violent and vengeful world.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
by Yuval Noah Harari
Jonathan Cape, London
Extent: 352, Price: Rs 799
First published in Outlook magazine, issue for the week ending Feb 25, 2019.
