Summary of "Humility"
Full Summary
The essay "Humility" by Yuval Noah Harari, a renowned essayist from Jerusalem, emphasizes the virtue of humility by debunking humanity's illusions of superiority and mastery. Harari explains that qualities like morality, art, spirituality, and creativity are universal human abilities embedded in our DNA, shared across all cultures. He highlights how most people wrongly believe that their culture or group is at the center of the world and the source of the most important human achievements.
Harari challenges these egotistical views by giving examples: the Greeks credit their philosophers for the foundation of history; Indians claim ancient inventions before Western discoveries; Jews consider monotheism uniquely theirs; Chinese nationalists take pride in their cultural contributions, and many religions assert supremacy over others. However, Harari points out that no group is entirely unique since similar ideas and beliefs have existed elsewhere before them. History's survivors often were those with the most violent or forceful means to spread their religion or culture.
He also reminds us that even moral teachings, such as "love thy neighbor as thyself," predate their popular religious associations and are found in other ancient cultures. Harari's key message is that humility means recognizing the real limits of our knowledge and understanding that human history, culture, and achievements are interconnected and shared.
The essay warns against cultural arrogance and calls for a humble appreciation of universal human heritage and interconnectedness. Harari urges readers to dismantle self-centered narratives in favor of empathy and global humility, recognizing that no one culture or group holds a monopoly on truth or virtue.