Are we living in a post-truth era? Yes, but that's because we're ...

Homo sapiens is a post-truth species, who conquered this planet thanks above all to the unique human ability to create and spread fictions. We ... Tech Business Arts+Design Science Wehumans Searchfor: Wehumans Arewelivinginapost-truthera?Yes,butthat’sbecausewe’reapost-truthspecies. Sep7,2018 / YuvalNoahHarari ShareThisIdeaClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonLinkedIn(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonReddit(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonPocket(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonWhatsApp(Opensinnewwindow) KierstenEssenpreis Sharedfictions—intheformofnews,religions,novels,sports,money,evenbrands—fillourlives,butthat’sOK.It’sthesesharedbeliefsthathavehelpedhumanscooperateandconquertheplanet,explainshistorianYuvalHarari. Wearerepeatedlytoldthesedaysthatwehaveenteredtheterrifyingneweraofpost-truth,inwhichnotjustparticularfactsbutentirehistoriesmightbefaked.Butifthisistheeraofpost-truth,when,exactly,wasthehalcyonageoftruth?Andwhattriggeredourtransitiontothepost-truthera?Theinternet?Socialmedia?TheriseofPutinandTrump? Acursorylookathistoryrevealsthatpropagandaanddisinformationarenothingnew.Infact,humanshavealwayslivedintheageofpost-truth.Homosapiensisapost-truthspecies,whoconqueredthisplanetthanksabovealltotheuniquehumanabilitytocreateandspreadfictions.Wearetheonlymammalsthatcancooperatewithnumerousstrangersbecauseonlywecaninventfictionalstories,spreadthemaround,andconvincemillionsofotherstobelieveinthem.Aslongaseverybodybelievesinthesamefictions,weallobeythesamelawsandcantherebycooperateeffectively. PleasenotethatIamnotdenyingtheeffectivenessorpotentialbenevolenceofreligion—justtheopposite.Fictionisamongthemosteffectivetoolsinhumanity’stoolkit. Centuriesago,millionsofChristianslockedthemselvesinsideaself-reinforcingmythologicalbubble,neverdaringtoquestionthefactualveracityoftheBible,whilemillionsofMuslimsputtheirunquestioningfaithintheQuran.WehavezeroscientificevidencethatEvewastemptedbytheserpent,thatthesoulsofallinfidelsburninhellaftertheydie,orthatthecreatoroftheuniversedoesn’tlikeitwhenaBrahminmarriesaDalit—yetbillionsofpeoplehavebelievedinthesestoriesforthousandsofyears. Somefakenewslastsforever. Iamawarethatmanypeoplemightbeupsetbymyequatingreligionwithfakenews,butthat’sexactlythepoint.Whenathousandpeoplebelievesomemade-upstoryforonemonth,that’sfakenews.Whenabillionpeoplebelieveitforathousandyears,that’sareligion,andweareadmonishednottocallit“fakenews”inordernottohurtthefeelingsofthefaithful(orincurtheirwrath). PleasenotethatIamnotdenyingtheeffectivenessorpotentialbenevolenceofreligion—justtheopposite.Forbetterorworse,fictionisamongthemosteffectivetoolsinhumanity’stoolkit.Bybringingpeopletogether,religiouscreedsmakelarge-scalehumancooperationpossible.Theyinspirepeopletobuildhospitals,schoolsandbridgesinadditiontoarmiesandprisons.MuchoftheBiblemaybefictional,butitcanstillbringjoytobillionsandcanstillencouragehumanstobecompassionate,courageous,andcreative—justlikeothergreatworksoffiction,suchasDonQuixote,WarandPeaceandtheHarryPotterbooks. Again,somepeoplemightbeoffendedbymycomparisonoftheBibletoHarryPotter.IfyouareascientificallymindedChristian,youmightarguethattheholybookwasnevermeanttobereadasafactualaccount,butratherasametaphoricalstorycontainingdeepwisdom.Butisn’tthattrueoftheHarryPotterstoriestoo? Ancientreligionshavenotbeentheonlyonestousefictiontocementcooperation.Morerecently,eachnationhascreateditsownnationalmythology. Ofcourse,notallreligiousmythshavebeenbeneficent.OnAugust29,1255,thebodyofanine-year-oldEnglishboycalledHughwasfoundinawellinthetownofLincoln.RumorquicklyspreadthatHughhadbeenrituallymurderedbythelocalJews.Thestoryonlygrewwithretelling,andoneofthemostrenownedEnglishchroniclersoftheday,MatthewParis,providedadetailedandgorydescriptionofhowprominentJewsfromthroughoutEnglandgatheredinLincolntofattenup,torture,andfinallycrucifytheabandonedchild.NineteenJewsweretriedandexecutedfortheallegedmurder.SimilarbloodlibelsbecamepopularinotherEnglishtowns,leadingtoaseriesofpogromsinwhichwholeJewishcommunitiesweremassacred.Eventually,in1290,theentireJewishpopulationofEnglandwasexpelled. Thestorydoesn’tendthere.AcenturyaftertheexpulsionoftheJews,GeoffreyChaucerincludedabloodlibelmodeledonthestoryofHughofLincolnintheCanterburyTales(“ThePrioress’sTale”).ThetaleculminateswiththehangingoftheJews.Similarbloodlibelssubsequentlybecameastapleofeveryanti-SemiticmovementfromlatemedievalSpaintomodernRussia. HughofLincolnwasburiedinLincolnCathedralandveneratedasasaint.Hewasreputedtoperformvariousmiracles,andhistombcontinuedtodrawpilgrimsevencenturiesaftertheexpulsionofallJewsfromEngland.Onlyin1955—tenyearsaftertheHolocaust—didLincolnCathedralrepudiatethebloodlibelstory,placingaplaquenearHugh’stombthatreads: “Trumped-upstoriesof“ritualmurders”ofChristianboysbyJewishcommunitieswerecommonthroughoutEuropeduringtheMiddleAgesandevenmuchlater.ThesefictionscostmanyinnocentJewstheirlives.LincolnhaditsownlegendandtheallegedvictimwasburiedintheCathedralintheyear1255.SuchstoriesdonotredoundtothecreditofChristendom.” Well,somefakenewsonlylastssevenhundredyears. Ancientreligionshavenotbeentheonlyonestousefictiontocementcooperation.Inmorerecenttimes,eachnationhascreateditsownnationalmythology,whilemovementssuchascommunism,fascismandliberalismfashionedelaborateself-reinforcingcredos.JosephGoebbels,theNazipropagandamaestro,allegedlyexplainedhismethodthus:“Alietoldonceremainsalie,butalietoldathousandtimesbecomesthetruth.”InMeinKampfHitlerwrote,“Themostbrilliantpropagandisttechniquewillyieldnosuccessunlessonefundamentalprincipleisborneinmindconstantly—itmustconfineitselftoafewpointsandrepeatthemoverandover.”Cananypresent-dayfake-newspeddlerimproveonthat? Thetruthis,truthhasneverbeenhighontheagendaofHomosapiens.Ifyousticktounalloyedreality,fewpeoplewillfollowyou. Commercialfirmsalsorelyonfictionandfakenews.Brandingofteninvolvesretellingthesamefictionalstoryagainandagain,untilpeoplebecomeconvinceditisthetruth.WhatimagescometomindwhenyouthinkaboutCoca-Cola?Doyouthinkabouthealthyyoungpeopleengaginginsportsandhavingfuntogether?Ordoyouthinkaboutoverweightdiabetespatientslyinginahospitalbed?DrinkinglotsofCoca-Colawillnotmakeyouyoung,willnotmakeyouhealthy,andwillnotmakeyouathletic—rather,itwillincreaseyourchancesofsufferingfromobesityanddiabetes.YetfordecadesCoca-Colahasinvestedbillionsofdollarsinlinkingitselftoyouth,health,andsports—andbillionsofhumanssubconsciouslybelieveinthislinkage. Thetruthis,truthhasneverbeenhighontheagendaofHomosapiens.Ifyousticktounalloyedreality,fewpeoplewillfollowyou.Falsestorieshaveanintrinsicadvantageoverthetruthwhenitcomestounitingpeople.Ifyouwanttogaugegrouployalty,requiringpeopletobelieveanabsurdityisafarbettertestthanaskingthemtobelievethetruth.Ifthechiefsaysthesunrisesinthewestandsetsintheeast,onlytrueloyalistswillclaptheirhands.Similarly,ifallyourneighborsbelievethesameoutrageoustale,youcancountonthemtostandtogetherintimesofcrisis.Iftheyarewillingtobelieveonlyaccreditedfacts,whatdoesthatprove? Youmightarguethatinsomecasesitispossibletoorganizepeopleeffectivelythroughconsensualagreementratherthanthroughfictions.Intheeconomicsphere,moneyandcorporationsbindpeopletogetherfarmoreeffectivelythananygodorholybook,eventhoughtheyarejustahumanconvention.Inthecaseofaholybook,atruebelieverwouldsay,“Ibelievethatthebookissacred,”whileinthecaseofthedollar,atruebelieverwouldsayonly,“Ibelievethatotherpeoplebelievethatthedollarisvaluable.”Itisobviousthatthedollarisjustahumancreation,yetpeopleallovertheworldrespectit.Ifso,whycan’thumansabandonallmythsandfictionsandorganizethemselvesonthebasisofconsensualconventionssuchasthedollar? Yetthedifferencebetweenholybooksandmoneyisfarsmallerthanitmightseem.Whenmostpeopleseeadollarbill,theyforgetthatitisjustahumanconvention.Astheyseethegreenpieceofpaperwiththepictureofthedeadwhiteman,theyseeitassomethingvaluableinandofitself.Theyhardlyeverremindthemselves,“Actually,thisisaworthlesspieceofpaper,butbecauseotherpeopleviewitasvaluable,Icanmakeuseofit.”IfyouobservedahumanbraininanfMRIscanner,youwouldseethatassomeoneispresentedwithasuitcasefullofhundred-dollarbills,thepartsofthebrainthatstartbuzzingwithexcitementarenottheskepticalpartsbutthegreedyparts.Conversely,inthevastmajorityofcasespeoplebegintosanctifytheBibleortheVedasonlyafterlongandrepeatedexposuretootherswhoviewitassacred.Welearntorespectholybooksinexactlythesamewaywelearntorespectpapercurrency. Youcannotplaygamesorreadnovelsunlessyoususpenddisbelief.Toenjoysoccer,youhavetoforgetforatleastninetyminutesthatitsrulesaremerelyhumaninventions. Forthisreasonthereisnostrictdivisioninpracticebetweenknowingthatsomethingisjustahumanconventionandbelievingthatsomethingisinherentlyvaluable.Inmanycases,peopleareambiguousorforgetfulaboutthisdivision.Togiveanotherexample,inadeepphilosophicaldiscussionaboutit,almosteverybodywouldagreethatcorporationsarefictionalstoriescreatedbyhumanbeings.Microsoftisn’tthebuildingsitowns,thepeopleitemploys,ortheshareholdersitserves—rather,itisanintricatelegalfictionwovenbylawmakersandlawyers.Yet99percentofthetime,wearen’tengagedindeepphilosophicaldiscussions,andwetreatcorporationsasiftheyarerealentities,justliketigersorhumans. Blurringthelinebetweenfictionandrealitycanbedoneformanypurposes,startingwith“havingfun”andgoingallthewayto“survival.”Youcannotplaygamesorreadnovelsunlessyoususpenddisbelief.Toreallyenjoysoccer,youhavetoaccepttherulesandforgetforatleastninetyminutesthattheyaremerelyhumaninventions.Ifyoudon’t,youwillthinkitutterlyridiculousfor22peopletogorunningafteraball.Soccermightbeginwithjusthavingfun,butitcanbecomefarmoreseriousstuff,asanyEnglishhooliganorArgentiniannationalistwillattest.Soccercanhelpformulatepersonalidentities,itcancementlarge-scalecommunities,anditcanevenprovidereasonsforviolence. Humanshavearemarkableabilitytoknowandnotknowatthesametime.Or,morecorrectly,theycanknowsomethingwhentheyreallythinkaboutit,butmostofthetimetheydon’tthinkaboutit,sotheydon’tknowit.Ifyoureallyfocus,yourealizethatmoneyisfiction.Butyouusuallydon’tthinkaboutit.Ifyouareaskedaboutit,youknowthatsoccerisahumaninvention.Butintheheatofamatch,nobodyasks.Ifyoudevotethetimeandenergy,youcandiscoverthatnationsareelaborateyarns.Butinthemidstofawar,youdon’thavethetimeandenergy. Scholarsthroughouthistoryhavefacedthisdilemma:Shouldtheyaimtounitepeoplebymakingsureeveryonebelievesthesamestory,orshouldtheyletpeopleknowthetruthevenatthepriceofdisunity? Truthandpowercantraveltogetheronlysofar.Soonerorlatertheygotheirseparatepaths.Ifyouwantpower,atsomepointyouwillhavetospreadfictions.Ifyouwanttoknowthetruthabouttheworld,atsomepointyouwillhavetorenouncepower.Youwillhavetoadmitthings—forexample,aboutthesourcesofyourownpower—thatwillangerallies,disheartenfollowers,orunderminesocialharmony. Scholarsthroughouthistoryhavefacedthisdilemma:Dotheyservepowerortruth?Shouldtheyaimtounitepeoplebymakingsureeveryonebelievesinthesamestory,orshouldtheyletpeopleknowthetruthevenatthepriceofdisunity?Themostpowerfulscholarlyestablishments—whetherofChristianpriests,ConfucianmandarinsorCommunistideologues—placedunityabovetruth.That’swhytheyweresopowerful. Asaspecies,humanspreferpowertotruth.Wespendfarmoretimeandeffortontryingtocontroltheworldthanontryingtounderstandit—andevenwhenwetrytounderstandit,weusuallydosointhehopethatunderstandingtheworldwillmakeiteasiertocontrolit.Ifyoudreamofasocietyinwhichtruthreignssupremeandmythsareignored,youhavelittletoexpectfromHomosapiens.Bettertotryyourluckwithchimps. Excerptedwithpermissionfromthenewbook21Lessonsforthe21stCenturybyYuvalHarari,publishedbySpiegel&Grau,animprintofPenguinRandomHouse,LLC.Copyright©2018byYuvalNoahHarari. AbouttheauthorYuvalNoahHarariisalecturerinhistoryattheHebrewUniversityofJerusalemandtheauthorofthebookSapiens:Abriefhistoryofhumankind,whichwasabest-sellerintheUS,UK,France,Korea,Chinaandothercountries. bookexcerpthumanityreligionYuvalHarari Advertisement FRESHIDEASINYOURINBOX TEDTalkoftheDay AlGore Howtomakeradicalclimateactionthenewnormal Similar Popular Wehumans WhatgotdecidedatCOP26?Hereare5takeawaysfromclimatescientists Wehumans Here'sonewaytomakesolarenergymoreaffordableandaccessible:Shareitwithyourneighbors Wehumans AquickexplainerforCOP26--here’showclimatenegotiationsworkandwhat'satstake Wehumans Howtoraiseemotionallyintelligentkids Wehumans Thetruthabouttheenvironmentalpawprintofdogs(andcats)--andhowtoreduceit Wehumans Reminder:Wheneveryousay"yes"tosomething,you'resaying"no"tosomethingelse Wehumans Here'showyourclimate-relatedchoicesarecontagious(inagoodway!) 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