21 Lessons for the 21st Century

by Yuval Noah Harari

Since the 1990s the internet has changed the world probably more than any other factor, yet the internet revolution was directed by engineers more than by political parties. Did you ever vote about the internet?

Similarly in the advertising business, the most important customer of all is an algorithm: the Google search algorithm.

Nobody’s life’s dream is to be a cashier.

Maybe we need to flip a switch in our minds and realize that taking care of a child is arguably the most important and challenging job in the world.

Soon authority might shift again—from humans to algorithms.

Rather, by capturing our attention they manage to accumulate immense amounts of data about us, which is worth more than any advertising revenue.

Ordinary humans will find it very difficult to resist this process. At present, people are happy to give away their most valuable asset—their personal data—in exchange for free email services and funny cat videos. It’s a bit like African and Native American tribes who unwittingly sold entire countries to European imperialists in exchange for colorful beads and cheap trinkets.

When you have a hammer in your hand, everything looks like a nail; when you have great power in your hand, everything looks like an invitation to meddle.