While these internal reactions may be caused by external factors, the human brain is only responding to the chemical reactions occurring in the body. Different experiences create a different reaction to the same food offering.Ģ) Biochemistry: Human happiness is the result of chemical reactions. However, if you’ve been eating at 5-star restaurants for your entire life, that same fast-food burger may disgust you. For example, if you’ve unwillingly gone for days without food, you would be overjoyed at the sight of a fast-food burger. Different experiences and lifestyles create different levels of expectation and, therefore, different requirements for happiness. “The glass ceiling of happiness is held in place by two stout pillars, one psychological, the other biological.”įurther, he argues that there are two approaches to achieving happiness: psychology and biochemistry:ġ) Psychology: Human happiness depends on personal expectation. As our expectations become inflated, the things that once provided happiness no longer provide the same satisfaction as they once did. Ironically, the more temporary pleasantness you feel, the more likely you are to struggle with long-term happiness. People experience temporary pleasant sensations, then use the rest of their time trying to recreate those feelings. In discussing happiness, Harari argues that permanent happiness is out of reach for humanity at the moment. “To attain real happiness, humans need to slow down the pursuit of pleasant sensations, not accelerate it.” Spirituality promotes the individual, which destroys the structure necessary for religious unity. Religion requires followers who are willing to adhere to a uniform set of rules, creating large-group cooperation. With this in mind, spirituality is actually the enemy of religion. Spirituality focuses on the individual, not the group. Each person has their own individual experience and searches for their own answers to the big questions in life. Religion focuses on the group, not the individual. Each person fulfills a specific role, and, in return, religion provides answers to the big questions in life. While many people tend to associate religion and spirituality with one another, Harari argues that they actually promote conflicting perspectives: “Religion is a deal, whereas spirituality is a journey.” This allowed them to seize power for themselves and flourish in the aftermath of the conflict. For example, Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East goaded the United States into conflict to destabilize the Middle East and eliminate Saddam Hussein. They don’t have the ability to destroy the shop on their own, but if they can goad a bull into the china shop, they can rely on the bull to destroy it. They are akin to flies that want to destroy a china shop. Terrorists are usually people who lack access to real power, using guerrilla warfare tactics to garner attention. As the name suggests, terrorism excites terror but it doesn’t have what it takes to inflict real damage. In most cases, this overreaction to terrorism poses a far greater threat to our security than the terrorists themselves.”Īccording to Harari, terrorism carries no real threat. Consequently states often feel obliged to react to the theatre of terrorism with a show of security, orchestrating immense displays of force, such as the persecution of entire populations or the invasion of foreign countries. Terrorists stage a terrifying spectacle of violence that captures our imagination and makes us feel as if we are sliding back into medieval chaos. He projects that humans will eventually change their makeup by gradually adding desirable features and eliminating undesirable traits until they are no longer human. In discussing the future of mankind, Harari makes a point that it’s unlikely that Sapiens is our final form. “In pursuit of health, happiness and power, humans will gradually change first one of their features and then another, and another, until they will no longer be human.” Keep reading for quotes from Homo Deus by Yuval Harari. The following Homo Deus quotes highlight some of his ideas about the current state of humanity and what the future holds in store. In Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari maps out the future of humanity, drawing from the interdisciplinary synthesis of history, psychology, economics, and biology. Looking for Homo Deus quotes by Yuval Noah Harari? What are some of the most insightful passages that highlight the author’s key ideas about humanity?
Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Homo Deus" by Yuval Noah Harari.