Julia’s Reviews > Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind > Status Update

Buddha agreed with modern biology and New Age movements that happiness is independent of external conditions. Yet his more important and far more profound insight was that true happiness is also independent of our inner feelings. Indeed, the more significance we give our feelings, the more we crave them, and the more we suffer=> recommendation: stop the pursuit of inner feelings (as well as of external achievements)

you can just except them for what they are. You live in the present moment instead of fantasizing about what might have been

In meditation, you’re supposed to closely observe your mind and body, witness the ceaseless arising and passing of all your feelings, and realize how pointless it is to pursue them. When the pursuit stops, the mind becomes very relaxed, clear and satisfied. All kinds of feelings go on arising and passing - joy, anger, boredom, lust - but once you stop craving particular feelings,

“Married ppl are happier” is a correlation, the direction of causation may be the opposite

But the most important finding of all is that happiness does not really depend on objective conditions of either wealth, health or even community. Rather, it depends on the correlation between objective conditions and subjective expectations.

Ecology
300m t humans
700m t farmyard animals
100m t large wild animals

80k giraffes vs 1.5b cattle
200000 wolves vs 400m dom.dogs

The wheels of industry:
Energy
Farm animal conditions
Consumerism

In the name of the capital: Opium wars, 1882 Egypt as British protectorate, Greek independence 1827
Free Market (free from politics)
Ethics of capitalism: slavery, poverty during the industrial revolution, incl. in the colonies
After 1908 and 1945 somewhat better, not least die to the fear of communism (which turned out much worse)

Crediting
Prev view on C (amount of wealth is limited => of wealthy than taken from someone else => sinful)
1776 Adam Smith “The wealth of a nation“
Investments in the age of exploration: kings vs merchants
VOC
The Mississippi Bubble

Empty maps
Conquering of America
Linguistics
Cultuarism instead of racism