Evolution Has Already Approved of Everything You’ll Do Tomorrow
Darwin’s theories illustrate the improbability of the present and the unknowability of the future
“Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society, but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures.”
— Excerpt from Homo Deus, by Yuval Harari
Our behavior — especially in the age of social media — is inextricably linked to how we believe it will be perceived. I’ve outlined this argument in the context of brands to make it easy to understand (read: “People Don’t Buy Products, They Buy Better Versions of Themselves,” or “The Approval Economy”), but brands are just the…
