Yuval Noah Harari: Stories, Power & Why Truth Doesn't Matter | Nikhil Kamath | People by WTF

Yuval Noah Harari, a historian and author, discusses the role of storytelling in shaping history, emphasizing that much of human society is built on shared fictions, from religion to economies. He explores the complexities of truth, noting that while reality is singular, perspectives vary. Harari critiques the current geopolitical climate, highlighting a regression to power-centric politics and the erosion of trust. He warns of AI's growing influence, potentially reshaping religion and societal structures. Harari stresses the importance of cooperation over force, urging a move away from viewing all relationships as power struggles to foster a more harmonious global society.

• The session discusses the geopolitical dynamics and Europe's evolving role.
• The world is experiencing a regression to basic political lessons, emphasizing military power as the primary force.
• There is a resurgence of the view that power and force are the only realities, undermining other facets of human relations.

"Terrible. I mean, we are going back to kindergarten to kind of the first most basic lessons of politics and of human behavior."

• The speaker highlights the regression to simplistic power dynamics in global politics.

• Religion and other societal structures are seen as stories that have shaped history through human imagination.
• These stories, including religion and economy, are powerful because they are widely believed, not because they are objectively real.
• The success of religious stories can often be attributed to chance and historical accidents, alongside compelling narratives.

"So much of the world is run on fiction is fueled by fiction. It's most obvious in the case of religion. But even if you look at something like the economy, corporations, money, all of these things are stories that we invented."

• The speaker emphasizes the role of human imagination in creating societal constructs.

"Christianity has a very compelling story. It has something that people really want to believe... This is such an attractive idea."

• The compelling narrative of Christianity is highlighted as a reason for its widespread acceptance.

• People often believe in concepts like life after death despite limited evidence.
• The irony lies in the fact that the more attractive a belief is, the less likely it may be true due to confirmation biases.

"Everybody wants to believe that there is something after death... The evidence is so meager."

• The speaker points out the discrepancy between popular beliefs and the evidence supporting them.

• True power is derived from cooperation and shared beliefs, not just force.
• Building any large-scale entity, like an army or a nation, requires a shared story or belief system.
• Geopolitical alliances, like that between the US and Europe, exemplify the power of cooperative relationships.

"Ultimately human power is based on cooperation not on force... To have some real friends in the world, this is power."

• Cooperation is underscored as the foundation of enduring power and alliances.

• Trust is fundamental in both politics and economics, akin to the trust banks build with customers.
• Democratic politics faces challenges due to finite political tenures, which can undermine long-term trust.
• Trust between states, rather than individuals, is crucial for stable international relations.

"Trust, you need to work for years to build trust and you can lose it in a day."

• The fragility and importance of trust in politics and economics are highlighted.

"Politics like banking is most you can't trust everybody in politics of course but this if you finally managed to build a trustworthy relationship in politics this is your your biggest asset."

• Trust is reiterated as a key asset in political relationships, akin to banking.

• The discussion critiques the shift from modern political systems to a more medieval-like system where relationships are between influential families rather than nations.
• There is an emphasis on how foreign policy is influenced by personal relationships, particularly with the Trump family, rather than formal agreements between countries.

"Putin did not break his promises to me. He broke his promises to Obama. He broke his promises to Biden."

• This quote highlights the shift in political dynamics, focusing on personal rather than institutional commitments.

"It's now foreign relations increasingly is relations with the Trump family not with the United States."

• This statement underscores the perceived shift towards dynastic politics, where personal relationships take precedence over national interests.

• The conversation emphasizes the responsibility of public intellectuals to speak the truth, even if it risks personal repercussions.
• There is a critique of the media landscape where individuals are often pressured to conform to political narratives rather than express genuine beliefs.

"If they don't allow me into the US or they don't allow me, but my job as a public intellectual is to speak my mind."

• The quote underscores the commitment to truth and intellectual honesty over political convenience.

"Isn't that the media today? Everybody is saying what they don't believe."

• This highlights a critical view of contemporary media as being driven by manipulation rather than truth.

• Truth is portrayed as a complex and singular reality, despite differing perspectives and interpretations.
• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is used as an example to illustrate the complexity and multifaceted nature of truth.

"The truth ultimately is one because reality is one. There is just one reality."

• This statement emphasizes the existence of a singular truth despite diverse perceptions.

"Both sides they see part of the truth, part of reality and simply refuse to acknowledge the other side."

• This quote reflects on the partial acknowledgment of truth by conflicting parties, leading to ongoing disputes.

• The discussion explores how AI is influencing and potentially transforming religious practices, particularly in religions that emphasize scriptural authority.
• AI's ability to interpret and remember religious texts poses a challenge to traditional religious authority.

"AI can easily do that."

• This quote highlights AI's capacity to surpass human limitations in religious scholarship.

"AI will be a book that talks back to you."

• This statement envisions a future where AI becomes an interactive source of religious interpretation and authority.

• The conversation addresses the growing role of AI in forming intimate relationships with humans, including friendships and romantic relationships.
• There is concern over the long-term social and psychological impacts of AI on human relationships.

"There are already youngsters today in the world that you ask them who who is your best friend and they say it's an AI."

• This quote illustrates the emerging trend of AI as a significant social companion.

"This is maybe the biggest psychological and social experiment in human history conducted on billions of people right now."

• This statement reflects concern about the unknown consequences of AI's integration into daily life and relationships.

• Democracy is portrayed as a robust yet vulnerable system, with its self-correcting mechanisms being both its strength and potential weakness.
• The discussion highlights the risks of democratic systems being undermined by those in power.

"Democracy is all about checks and balances, all about self-correction."

• This quote underscores the foundational principles that make democracy resilient.

"The problem is always what if they don't want to give the power back."

• This statement points to the potential threat of democratic erosion when power is consolidated.

• The conversation critiques the role of algorithms in shaping media consumption and public discourse.
• There is a call to reclaim human control over media to ensure a healthy democratic conversation.

"Don't let nonhumans control the human conversation."

• This quote advocates for human oversight in media to preserve democratic dialogue.

"Our biggest mistake is that over the last 10 years we gave one of the most important jobs in the world to algorithms."

• This statement criticizes the reliance on algorithms for managing public discourse, emphasizing the need for human intervention.

• Algorithms were given the task of increasing engagement on social media platforms rather than promoting truth or improving society.
• The simple metric of engagement was prioritized because it was easy to measure and profitable.
• Algorithms found that pressing emotional buttons like hate, greed, and fear increased user engagement.

"The algorithms were not given the task, okay, manage the conversation in a way that will build trust or in a way that will promote truth or in a way that will improve society."

• The quote highlights that algorithms were not designed to manage conversations constructively but rather to maximize engagement.

"If you want to increase engagement to grab people's attention and make them stay longer on the platform, press the hate button in the human mind."

• This quote explains how algorithms exploit human emotions to keep users engaged, often at the expense of truth and social harmony.

• The divisive nature of algorithm-driven engagement is evident globally, not just in the United States.
• Algorithms have replaced human editors in controlling the flow of information, leading to polarized societies.

"You see the same thing in Brazil. You see the same thing in Israel. You see the same thing all over the world. It can't be something specific to one country."

• This quote underscores that the divisive effects of algorithms are a global phenomenon, not limited to any single nation.

"Who are the most important editors in the world? It's algorithms. They don't even have names."

• The quote emphasizes the shift from human to algorithmic control in media, affecting how information is curated and disseminated.

• There are models, such as those from Taiwan, that promote content based on cross-group engagement rather than single-group dominance.
• These models aim to foster discourse and connection between differing viewpoints.

"It promotes the content not on the basis of how much engagement it gains altogether, but to the extent that it gains engagement from both sides."

• This quote describes an alternative algorithmic approach that encourages balanced engagement across diverse groups.

"If you just cater to one group, your content is not promoted. It has to be in some way connecting different groups."

• The quote highlights the principle of promoting content that bridges gaps between different societal groups.

• The discussion touches on the philosophical question of life's purpose, suggesting liberation from suffering as a central theme.
• Suffering is linked to ignorance, and understanding suffering is seen as a path to liberation.

"I think the ultimate reality is the reality of suffering and liberation from suffering."

• This quote presents the idea that life’s purpose is connected to understanding and overcoming suffering.

"All suffering comes from ignorance. If we really understand what suffering is and where it comes from, then we can be liberated from it."

• The quote explains the belief that understanding the roots of suffering can lead to personal and collective liberation.

• Control is limited to the present moment and one's own mind; external factors are largely uncontrollable.
• The illusion of control is challenged by the unpredictability of thoughts and the inevitability of change.

"Ultimately the only thing I really control to some extent is my own mind."

• This quote emphasizes the limited scope of human control, focusing on the mind and present moment.

"We cannot stop our body from aging. Try to control the next thought that comes up in your mind."

• The quote illustrates the inherent limitations of human control, even over personal thoughts and physical aging.

• Meditation reveals that thoughts arise spontaneously and are not fully under conscious control.
• The process of observing thoughts without blocking them is a key aspect of meditation practice.

"Don't try to block them. Observe them."

• This quote advises on the practice of meditation, emphasizing observation over suppression of thoughts.

"We have no idea where our thoughts are coming from."

• The quote reflects on the mysterious origins of thoughts, challenging the notion of self-generated thinking.

• The self is seen as a constantly changing process rather than a fixed entity.
• Identity is shaped by a combination of biology, personal history, and experiences.

"Who you are as a person is a constant process of change."

• This quote highlights the fluid and dynamic nature of personal identity.

"We are partly the product of biology and evolution of millions of years. We are partly the product of our own personal history."

• The quote describes the complex interplay of factors that contribute to individual identity.

• No single person or group runs the world; power is distributed and complex.
• Trust, friendship, and cooperation are crucial for solving global problems.
• Power dynamics are not solely determined by traditional figures like politicians or influencers.

"No single person or group of persons runs the world."

• This quote emphasizes the complexity and distribution of power across various entities and individuals in the world.

"Even if you are the most powerful person in the world, you cannot solve by yourself most of the world's problems."

• Highlights the necessity of cooperation and collective effort to address global issues.

• Historical figures perceived as powerful may not have had lasting influence.
• Storytellers and those who shape narratives often hold significant power.
• The impact of religious figures like Jesus is often understood retrospectively.

"If you told people in the year 26, the most important person at the present moment in the Roman Empire, maybe in the whole world, is this Jew from the Galilee, this carpenter. Everybody would think you you're out of your mind."

• Illustrates how contemporary perceptions of power can differ from historical impact.

"It's never the one person because the story gets retold and reinterpreted."

• Suggests that the power of storytelling and narrative creation can surpass individual influence.

• AI is emerging as a potentially powerful entity, possibly surpassing human influence.
• Corporations, as non-human legal persons, already play a significant role in global power structures.
• AI's ability to make independent decisions could transform economic and corporate landscapes.

"The most important powerful actor today is no longer a human being or a group of human beings but an AI."

• Points to the growing influence of AI in shaping global power dynamics.

"With AI, what defines AI is the ability to make decisions by itself."

• Emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in decision-making processes.

• AI could challenge traditional capitalism by changing the nature of work and value.
• Cryptocurrencies and alternative forms of currency may replace traditional money.
• The relevance of human currencies may diminish as AI-driven economies emerge.

"We could reach a point when for instance currency will be AI tokens or even time on servers or data."

• Suggests a shift in the fundamental nature of currency and value exchange in an AI-driven world.

"AI can be a corporation that makes its own decisions without any humans."

• Highlights the potential for AI to autonomously control economic entities.

• Emphasizes the importance of a broad skill set to adapt to an uncertain future.
• Intellectual, social, emotional, motor, and spiritual skills are crucial for future success.
• The unpredictability of future job markets necessitates versatility and adaptability.

"Spread yourself wide. Don't focus on a very narrow skill like coding."

• Advises against specializing too narrowly, given the unpredictability of future job demands.

"You need brain, you need heart, you need hands, you need some intellectual skills, but you also need social and emotional skills and you also need motor skills, body skills."

• Encourages a well-rounded development of skills to navigate future challenges.

• Spirituality is about the quest to understand reality and existence.
• Contrasts spirituality with religion, which often provides unquestionable answers.
• Investigating reality and consciousness is central to spiritual exploration.

"Spirituality is I want to understand reality. I want to understand life."

• Defines spirituality as an investigative pursuit of understanding existence.

"Religion is about giving people answers that you are not allowed to question."

• Differentiates spirituality from religion by highlighting the latter's restrictive nature.

• Regime changes do not guarantee improved societal conditions.
• The challenge lies in rebuilding and establishing functional democracies post-regime change.
• Historical examples demonstrate the complexity of political transitions.

"It's not like these Hollywood superhero movies that you think all the problem in the world is because this one big evil guy."

• Criticizes simplistic narratives about regime change and political solutions.

"We need to see a functioning democracy in Venezuela."

• Stresses the importance of establishing democratic systems rather than merely removing dictators.

• Viewing all relationships as power struggles leads to a miserable existence.
• Leaders focusing solely on power can lead to societal collapse and anarchy.
• Encourages letting go of power-centric thoughts for healthier personal and collective lives.

"Don't believe people who tell you that all reality is just power."

• Warns against adopting a worldview that reduces all interactions to power dynamics.

"If everything is just power, so why is this guy in power and not me?"

• Highlights the destructive potential of a power-centric mindset on societal stability.