Ask yourself Quote by Yuval Noah Harari
““Ask yourself: what was the most influential discovery, invention or creation of the twentieth century? That’s a difficult question, because it is hard to choose from a long list of candidates, including scientific discoveries such as antibiotics, technological inventions such as computers, and ideological creations such as feminism. Now ask yourself: what was the most influential discovery, invention or creation of traditional religions such as Islam and Christianity in the twentieth century? This too is a very difficult question, because there is so little to choose from. What did priests, rabbis and muftis discover in the twentieth century that can be mentioned in the same breath as antibiotics, computers or feminism? Having mulled over these two questions, from where do you think the big changes of the twenty-first century will emerge: from the Islamic State, or Google? Yes, the Islamic State knows how to put videos on YouTube; but leaving aside the industry of torture, what new inventions have emerged from Syria or Iraq lately?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Talk, 2023
The speaker contrasts scientific, technological, and ideological breakthroughs of the 20th century with religious leadership, questioning where future transformative ideas will arise—whether from extremist groups or tech giants.
In simple terms: He asks which discoveries shape our era and where next big changes will come from.
Consider the sources of future innovation.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education
- media strategy
- conflict analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What role should religious leaders play in modern innovation?
- How can societies balance ethical concerns with technological progress?
Religious institutions have limited capacity for technological invention compared to secular sectors.