“Ever since the Cognitive Revolution, sapiens have thus been living in a dual reality. On the one hand, the objective reality of rivers, trees, and lions; and on the other hand, the imagined reality of gods, nations, and corporations.”
— Yuval Noah Harari
Simplified Meaning:
Humans experience two types of realities. The first is the physical world we can see and touch, like rivers, trees, and lions. These are tangible and exist whether we believe in them or not. The second reality is made up of things we invent in our minds, like gods, countries, and businesses. These don't have a physical form but are very powerful and influence our lives a lot. For example, money is just paper or metal, but because we all agree it has value, it becomes very important. Similarly, a country doesn't exist on a map naturally; it's a concept everyone agrees on and follows rules about. Understanding these dual realities helps us see why people fight wars, follow laws, or go to school—they're acting on shared beliefs just as much as on physical needs. By recognizing this, we can make better choices, knowing some problems are about beliefs that could be changed or approached differently.
