The Dark Side of Dominance: 3 Insights on “The Power of Shared Myths”
Growing up, I encountered many stories explaining why humans dominate Earth. Some claimed we were the “chosen species” gifted with superior rationality. Others pointed to our communication skills. As someone who casually enjoys a good steak at the top of the food chain, I just felt lucky.
Yet, nature documentaries challenge this view. Monkeys use vocalizations for social bonding, and ants use pheromones for complex societal organization. If language isn’t unique to us, was it our rational brain that secured victory?
My experience writing about psychology suggests otherwise. Human choices are deeply mediated by emotion-based memories, often powerless against immediate pleasures like scrolling through our phones. How did a species often far from rational come to rule the world? Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens offers profound answers, centering on the power of shared myths.
1. The Survivor: Sapiens vs. Neanderthals
We often forget that Homo sapiens was just one of several human species evolved from Australopithecus in East Africa about 2.5 million years ago.
We coexisted with species like Homo erectus and the formidable Neanderthals in Europe. Neanderthals were stronger, larger, and better adapted to cold than our ancestors. Early sapiens, with fragile skin and weak natural weapons, were often prey until mastering fire about 800,000 years ago.
Yet, about 10,000 years ago, Homo sapiens became the last human species standing. How did we outcompete our stronger siblings?
2. The Secret Weapon: The Power of Shared Myths
Early human groups typically split when exceeding 50 members due to social friction. Yet, Sapiens learned to form stable collectives of 150 or thousands.
The secret lies in abstraction. As discussed in books like Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain, Sapiens possesses the unique ability to imagine and believe in things that do not physically exist. This capacity for abstraction is the foundation of the power of shared myths.
This evolutionary leap enabled cooperation between strangers who shared the same beliefs. Nations, human rights, money, and laws have no physical existence. They exist only in our collective imagination, forming an undeniable “social reality.” This power bound vast numbers of Sapiens together, allowing them to dominate the planet and eventually drive sibling species to extinction.
3. The Trap of the Agricultural Revolution
However, this human success wasn’t always beautiful. As massive numbers gathered, a stable food supply became critical, leading to the Agricultural Revolution. While it allowed for a population boom, it was a trap for the individual.
Ancient hunter-gatherers were generalists with exceptional mental and physical agility. Agriculture turned most humans into specialized laborers, tending fields in repetitive routines. Society became like a vast factory, increasing overall wealth but creating deep information asymmetry.
In this new “social reality,” wealth flowed to a small elite (kings, priests) who produced the myths. This structure persists today. The tools have changed, but the power of shared myths still maintains a system where a top echelon possesses most wealth.
The Illusion of Equality and Recognizing Reality
This isn’t just politics; it’s biology. True biological equality is difficult when hormones like serotonin drive us to compare status and feel hierarchy. Humans used imagination to formalize this animalistic hierarchy into extreme, legally sanctioned systems.
Realizing this “social reality” was a turning point for me. I saw my former military service not just as noble duty, but potentially as the sacrifice of lower-class individuals to maintain a hierarchy. It wasn’t beautiful. The moment my individual life became precious, I left.
Reading Sapiens made me realize we cannot escape being “social animals” bound by the power of shared myths. But recognizing this reality is the first step toward understanding our position and struggling to change our lives. Sapiens is daunting, but I recommend it—unless you are completely content with your current life.
Further Reading for Context
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