We Are Unstoppable
by inventing stories and cooperating in large number
I recently read a children book from Yuval Noah Harari titled Unstoppable Us. It tells story about how human become such an unstoppable species. One key point of why we become so unstoppable is because of our ability to collaborate with complete strangers. Many species can collaborate, but they usually limit the collaboration within their own clan, humans do not have those limit. How did we do it? By believing in stories.
With next level collaboration, homo sapiens is able to win every battle it face. From Neanderthal to Mammoths, from huge Australian animals to depleting ozone layer, we are always able to win them all. Our ability to be moved together by story is the backbone of it.
Harari explains the reason human can believe in the story is due to genomic evolution. We were living in a harsh condition with many competition from outside and inside of our species. And we were so lucky that we got the most powerful evolution possible, believing in stories. He reminded the reader that some moment in the future, other animals can somehow develop a more powerful evolution, and replace us as the apex predator.
To see how story affect human, Harari talks about religion. Religion ask its followers to act in a specific behavior, most of the time they are reasonable instructions but sometimes unquestionable commandment, with promises that they will be prized in the after life. Many wars have been waged in the name of religion, justified in the name of getting the God’s prize. I got shiver from this: you risk your life and family in the name of stories that come from someone you didn’t even meet before.
A more modern example Harari brought up is the idea of corporation. Corporation is just an idea, when the assets or the people removed, the idea still can live. Law, currency, and nation, all of those are stories. But with this stories, we can advance better as a species.
The Ozone Layer is Saved!
This remind me with the successful story of ozone layer recovery. In 1980, humankind was in a panic. There was a huge hole in the antarctic ozone layer. In timely manner, scientist from around the world trying to figure out what cause this. Thankfully in 1985, The British Atlantic Survey find that this is caused by CFC.
The story run wild in the world. Every newspaper and magazine talk about how human is in an existential crisis, we need to move fast.
Hope emerges when world leaders decide to talk about this particular issue. Montreal protocol is enacted. While there were many skepticism that this will succeed, CFC usage goes down to near zero in the beginning of 2000’s. And in 2010s, scientist declare that the hole size is decreasing.
Story, albeit can make unnecessary fear or unrealistic hope, can amass humans with different background and goals to do something unbelievable.
Even A Literal Fiction can Unite People
I told my friend about the content of this book, and he gave me a good example. In the modern fiction community, like the Tolkien universe, there is no future promises like religion or children stories. Such as if you do X you will get Y. People in the community don’t necessarily believe the Tolkien’s story, they love it because it is thrilling and the stories give entertainment value for them.
Tolkien’s universe is only a fiction. But they want to spend their valuable time to do meet ups, talking about the stories and new interpretation from other people. They fund raise a project so that the story can be in the box office. They spend money for merchandise and posters about it. The fiction unites them.
Do I Love the Book?
Harari not only give its reader facts, but also method on how to think better. As the target audiences are children, the book teach the children how a scientist usually think. When explaining where did human live in the stone age, he teach the children that only because many discoveries of human craft found in the cave doesn’t mean that they lived in the cave, a scientist need to consider everything.
He teaches the children that an archeologist need to look at a broader view of the condition. Was it rational for a human to live in a dark place with no food nor fresh air? If human wasn’t live in the cave, why there were so many discoveries found in the cave?
The book contains many illustration that help the reader to imagine what is Harari talking about. Raiz’s drawing style and perspective is nicely fit the book content.
The writing structure is also very empathetic. He always give an example that is familiar for children in the beginning of his explanation. When explaining how human need to adapt when moving to a new place, he used children common experience when entering a new school, they need to learn about the system that exist in the place.
Although the book is a children book, it is really enjoyable for a non native speaker like me. The jokes are nicely written and always make me smile. A book that I will definitely read to my own children.
