Human brain Quote by Yuval Noah Harari
““As the number of inhabitants grew, so did the amount of information required to coordinate their affairs. Between the years 3500 BC and 3000 BC, some unknown Sumerian geniuses invented a system for storing and processing information outside their brains, one that was custom-built to handle large amounts of mathematical data. The Sumerians thereby released their social order from the limitations of the human brain, opening the way for the appearance of cities, kingdoms and empires. The data-processing system invented by the Sumerians is called ‘writing’.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari, 2014
Writing externalized memory, allowing societies to manage complex information and scale beyond individual brain capacity.
In simple terms: Writing lets societies store and share knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Leverage external tools for complex coordination.
Themes
information
technology
societal development
Mood
analytical
historical
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- education
- government
- business
- digital platforms
Key Concepts
cognitive offloading
collective intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does writing shape power structures?
- What modern tools mirror ancient writing’s impact?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on external systems creates new vulnerabilities.
