There are two definitions of God, one is the campfire god that people talk about when they wonder about the universe and its origins. This God is unknown, mysterious, and philosophical. The other God is the one religious people pray to. He is a moral authority, He cares about marriage and sexuality, He cares about … Read more
In this chapter, Harari tells us that humility is a quality that most cultures lack. There are Indians that believe that the invention of nuclear science should be credited to them. The Jews believe that monotheism should be credited to them and that they are a significant group in the world – the top three … Read more
There was a time when wars made sense to some politicians – it was when wars were profitable and easy. In 1914, the British controlled the Nile Valley and the Suez Canal for decades without much push back. The U.S won the war against Mexico, gained a landmass equivalent to Western Europe, for the price … Read more
Since 11 September 2001, every year terrorists have killed about fifty people in the European Union, about ten people in the USA, about seven people in China, and up to 25,000 people globally (mostly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria).1 In contrast, each year traffic accidents kill about 80,000 Europeans, 40,000 Americans, 270,000 Chinese, … Read more
Law 30: Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless To become a master at anything, you need to invest considerable time and effort. But don’t tell others about your tricks, and how hard you had to toil – create an air of nonchalance and effortlessness. Be careful of teaching others too many of your secrets for they … Read more
Law 47: Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When To Stop There is wisdom in knowing when to stop. After you have achieved victory, don’t tempt fate. In 559 B.C, Cyrus defeated his grandfather Astyages, king of the Medes. He created the Persian Empire. After that, Cyrus achieved consecutive … Read more
Law 45: Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform Too Much at Once Change is necessary, but if you want to implement it, in must be gradual. If you change the status quo too quickly, people will revolt. Whether you are a politician or introducing a new product to the market, don’t deviate too … Read more
Law 43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others Coercion eventually backfires, you must seduce others into doing what you want. You must pay attention to their emotions, and slowly break down their defenses. If you ignore their hearts and minds, they will grow to hate you. Louis XVI married Marie-Antoinette. The French had grown sick of the mistresses that Louis XV … Read more
Law 42: Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter A single individual can be the cause of trouble, this person is the stirrer, the arrogant subordinate, or the poisoner of goodwill. Strike at him to put an end to his poison. At the end of the sixth century B.C, Athens established a democracy that … Read more
Law 39: Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish A monkey, whilst munching a ripe pear, was pestered by the bare-faced importunities of a wasp, who, nolens volens, would have a part. After threatening the monkey with his anger if he further hesitated to submit to his demand, he settled on the fruit; but was as … Read more