Ideas to take seriously
. "Once countries assume that war is inevitable, they beef up their armies, embark on spiraling arms races, refuse to compromise in any conflict, and suspect that goodwill gestures are just traps." (Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessosns for the 21st Century, p.210-211)
. "Even if war is catastrophic for everyone, no god and law of nature protects us from human stupidity." (Op Cit, p.211)
. "... long before you murder anyone, your anger has already killed your own peace of mind ... If you were completely free of anger you would feel far better than if you murdered an obnoxious enemy." (Op cit. p.236)
. "If you have a very strong belief in some story, that may tell us a lot of interesting things about your psychology, about your childhood, and about your brain structure - but it does not prove that the story is true." (Op. cit. p.239)
. "Questions you can't answer are usually better for you than answers you can't question." (Op. cit. p.242)
. "As we come to make the most important decisions in the history of life, I personally would trust more in those who admit ignorance rather than in those who claim infallibility." (Op. cit. p.249)
When I take in the scene on the other side of the cafe window, I'm struck by the realisation that what I perceive is "real" to only me.
In addition, I have NO idea what's going on in the minds of the pasees-by. Truth be told, I don't want to.
Harari recognises that existence is nothing more (or less) than the Theory of Relativity taken to its inevitable end: I can see the truth in that.
Nothing means anything, except the meanings human beings give to it ... and then choose to live by those meanings.
We don't deserve anything, we don't have rights to anything except that humans choose to enshrine them somewhere - in religion, political systems, tradition, cultural beliefs and practices, and so on.
Don't be afraid because we don't know. Rather, be more afraid because we think we know.
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