Six Takeaways from 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

21 Aug 2025 #books

#1. A book can be built from posts and scattered ideas. I’ve learned that while listening to Yuval Noah Harari discuss the book in a podcast interview. If he can do it, so can we.

#2. “In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power.” I loved that opening line.

#3. Homo Sapiens thrived as a species because we learned to collaborate. And to collaborate, we created stories. For example, 1,000 years ago, a soccer World Cup would have been impossible. Not because we didn’t have planes, but because we lived in isolated, rival empires and tribes with little in common.

#4. The next device to hack is the brain. Corporations already hack our minds using the data they collect about us. Now imagine the impact of biometric data: Instagram knowing when your pupils dilate and your heart rate changes when dumb scrolling. Most likely, algorithms will make the most important decisions for us.

#5. We need to be more connected to our senses and emotions. We no longer taste the seeds or fruits we once gathered to check for poisons. The old saying “Know Thyself” will be as relevant as it was 2,000 years ago.

#6. The most important skill to learn is meta-learning. The ability to learn how to learn. We’ll have to reinvent ourselves multiple times to adapt. We can’t simply expect to be factory workers for life.