Democracy Quote by Yuval Noah Harari
““The Google and Facebook algorithms not only know exactly how you feel, they also know myriad other things about you that you hardly suspect. Consequently you should stop listening to your feelings and start listening to these external algorithms instead. What’s the point of having democratic elections when the algorithms know not only how each person is going to vote, but also the underlying neurological reasons why one person votes Democrat while another votes Republican? Whereas humanism commanded: ‘Listen to your feelings!’ Dataism now commands: ‘Listen to the algorithms! They know how you feel.’ When””
About This Quote
Source Book: Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, 2015
The quote warns that reliance on algorithmic predictions may replace personal intuition, suggesting we trust data over feelings, especially in politics.
In simple terms: Algorithms may replace personal intuition; feelings data trust data over feelings
Key Takeaway
Question algorithms over feelings
Themes
technology
politics
trust
Mood
cautious
critical
skeptical
Type
advisory
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- voting decisions
- personal self-awareness
- policy making
- media consumption
Key Concepts
algorithmic determinism
dataism
neuroscience
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the risks of delegating decisions to algorithms?
- How can we balance data insight with human values?
A Different Perspective
Algorithms can be biased and lack moral judgment
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