I was reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind the other day while going over some of the lines in the book that I had highlighted, and I came across a lot of things that I thought were worth sharing. As a result, here is a blog dedicated to this enthralling novel. I haven't finished it yet, but I am still posting this blog because, as I said earlier, it was worth sharing. Remember, this is no review. I don't think it even needs one. I absolutely loved reading about how our species came to be what it is now. This scientific beauty has completely changed my perspective of the world and our past. Also, to think that there could have been a totally different present is intriguing. So, without further ado, I bring to you some of my favorite phrases from this book so far.
They were too familiar to ignore, but too different to tolerate.
This is the essence of the agricultural revolution: the ability to keep more people alive under worse conditions.
Once people get used to a certain luxury, they take it for granted.
While human evolution was crawling at its usual snail's pace, the human imagination was building astounding networks of mass cooperation, unlike any other ever seen on earth.
When we break down our prison walls and run towards freedom, we are in fact running into the more spacious exercise yard of a bigger prison.
Evolution is based on difference, not on equality.
This one was in reference to how the preamble of our constitutions is wrong, if we look at it scientifically. The author then went on to and analyzed it scientifically.
Biology enables, culture forbids.
Gender is a race in which some of the runners compete only for the bronze medal.
To be honest, I'm not sure what this one means, but what I can deduce is that our society has been patriarchal for a long time, and while women have been accepted as equals, there is still much work to be done, therefore they come in second position. Apart from women, there is the LGBTQIA+ group that is fighting for rights, and I believe this sentence reflects their predicament: they do not want to be on top, but rather to be recognized for who they are. I'm not sure if I'm correct, but these are my thoughts.
We begin with the story of the greatest conqueror in history, a conqueror possessed of extreme tolerance and adaptability, thereby turning people into ardent disciples. This conqueror is money. People who do not believe in the same god or obey the same king are more than willing to use the same money.
Trust is the raw material from which all types of money are minted.
Money is more open minded than language, state laws, cultural codes, religious beliefs and social habits. Money is the only trust system created by humans that can bridge almost any cultural gap, and that does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race, age or sexual orientation.
And my personal fave up until now:
Consistency is the playground of dull minds.
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