A Myth of Human Superiority
Most of us grow up believing that humans were always destined to rule the Earth. We imagine our ancestors as the undisputed kings of the prehistoric wild. But if you look at the actual history as Yuval Noah Harari does in Sapiens, you find a much more humbling reality. For the vast majority of our history, we were ordinary. Here is the link to my Book Review. Below are some specific pieces of the book I wanted to explore more for thoughts on who we really are and what makes us special or just lucky.
1. Middle of the Pack
In sub-Saharan Africa, early Homo sapiens were not apex predators. We lived at the middle of the food chain, spending our days gathering plants, snacking on insects, and living in constant fear of creatures that were faster, stronger, and deadlier than we were.
We weren’t the hunters; we were the scavengers. There is archaeological evidence suggesting our primary niche was waiting for a lion to finish its kill and a hyena to pick the bones clean. Only then would we rush in to crack open the bones for the marrow. We weren’t special; we were just trying to survive the afternoon.
2. Just One Branch of the Tree
We often forget that Homo sapiens wasn’t the only “human” in the game. We were just one branch of a diverse family tree. Our cousins, the Neanderthals, were arguably better equipped for the physical world—they were stronger and had larger brains.
However, a larger brain is an “energy hog.” While Neanderthals focused on physical dominance, Homo sapiens possessed a biological makeup that prioritized a different kind of survival: social coordination.
3. The Cognitive Edge
Our rise wasn’t due to a change in our biology; our bodies were more or less the same as those of other human species. The “revolution” was in our cognition. Because we could communicate more complex ideas and reason more effectively, we developed the ability to create and share myths. Whether it was a shared belief in a spirit, a tribe, or a specific set of rules, these “fictions” allowed us to form tighter, larger communities than any other animal.
The Bottom Line
We weren’t “designed” to be masters of the planet. We started as an insignificant ape with a slightly different set of survival skills. Our dominance isn’t a result of physical superiority, but of our unique ability to imagine things that don’t exist and work together to make them real.
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