Humility by Yuval Noah Harari (ESSAY)
Biography of the essayist, Yuval Noah Harari
´ YOU ARE NOT THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD.
´ Born on February 24, 1976 (age 45 years), Kiryat Ata. Israel.
´ Israeli public intellectual and a professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
´ Historian and bestselling author of ‘Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind’, ‘Homodeus: A Brief History of tomorrow’, and ‘21 lessons for the 21 century’.
´ Sold over 27.5 million copies worldwide and translated to 45+ languages.
´ Won Polonsky Prize twice for creativity and originality in 2009 and 2012.
´ Recommended by Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Chris Evans, and more.
´ Emphasizes the relation between history and biology.
Structure of the essay:
´ Part 1: Introduction
´ Part 2-4: Body Paragraph
´ Part 5: Conclusion
Reasoning:
Humility and
Humans
Ø
Humility
is the quality of state of being humble. It significantly positively affects emotional and
social competencies, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
Ø
Humility
allows people to be open to the possibility of making a mistake. It’s an integral part of moral
leadership.
Ø
We
human beings are humble by birth. We
have that spark to lighten within the dark through the humbleness that we all
have.
Ø
Humility
can only be maintained if every individual and social organization understands
its true meaning and
applies it to their way of life. On the contrary, we may feel a lack of
humility in society and cultures.
Humility and
Religion
Ø
According
to Harari, most cultures lack humbleness or humility. Most people boast
that their culture is the foundation of human history. Hindus boast about their religion’s contribution to the foundation of human history whereas
Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims have their own perspective.
Ø
No
one is ready to accept others. With this arrogant faith, they tend to stand in the center of the world. Everyone
tends to stand in the center of the world. This shows our lack of humility in
us. Day by day, we are losing that natural gift that nature has gifted us.
Analysis:
“You are not the center of the
world.”
a. What is Humility?
Ø
Non-judgmental
state of mind
Ø
Free
from Narcissism and self-depreciation
Ø
No
trace of ego
Ø
Acknowledgement
of the existence of the other.
b. Self-centered mindset
c. Superiority complex: Illusory superiority
d. What is the ‘you’ definition of
humility?
e. Is humility a character strength
or a sign of weakness?
f. Humility: Self-Esteem, Egotism, Culture.
Summary: In the essay "Humility," Yuval Noah Harari demonstrates the virtue of humility by dispelling humanity's illusions of superiority and power. According to him, morality, creativity, and the arts are all innate human qualities that are ingrained in our DNA. He asserts that most civilizations lack humility, leading to individuals' tendency to think of themselves as the center of the universe. He illustrates the beliefs of the Greeks regarding the beginning of history with Homer, Sophocles, and Plato; the beliefs of the Indians regarding the invention of the airplane and nuclear bombs by ancient sages; the beliefs of Chinese nationalists regarding the origin of many great ideas; the beliefs of the Jews regarding their status as the chosen people; and then the beliefs within various religious tribes and cultures. No group is unique, even though each thinks it is the center of the world and the creator of the most significant ideas and contributions. Such claims are a blatant display of egotism, whether they are made about Arabia in the time of Muhammad, Greece in the time of Plato, or China in the time of the Yellow Emperor. He has cited Judaism as an exemplar of such self-important narratives because he believes it is more polite to criticize one's own people than to criticize foreigners.
Exercises:
1. Describe the claim of the Chinese nationalists about human history.
2. What do pious Muslims believe about human history?
3. What did the Aztecs firmly believe about the universe?
4. What, according to the essay, are universal human abilities?
5. How are the basic yoga postures derived from the shape of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet?