--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first to overcome the problem were…" description: "\"“The first to overcome the problem were the ancient Sumerians, who lived in southern Mesopotamia. There, a scorching sun beating upon rich muddy plains..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/yuval-noah-harari-100_human-brain_the-first-to-overcome-the-problem-were-t_2731721.jpg" --- # The first to overcome the problem were the ancient… ![“The first to overcome the problem were the ancient Sumerians, who lived in southern Mesopotamia. There, a scorching sun beating upon rich muddy plains produced plentiful harvests and prosperous towns. As the number of inhabitants grew, so did the amount of information required to coordinate their…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/yuval-noah-harari-100_human-brain_the-first-to-overcome-the-problem-were-t_2731721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/yuval-noah-harari-100_human-brain_the-first-to-overcome-the-problem-were-t_2731721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/yuval-noah-harari-100_human-brain_the-first-to-overcome-the-problem-were-t_2731721.jpg) > ““The first to overcome the problem were the ancient Sumerians, who lived in southern Mesopotamia. There, a scorching sun beating upon rich muddy plains produced plentiful harvests and prosperous towns. 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’.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing emerged as a cognitive externalization, enabling complex societies and large‑scale coordination. **In simple terms:** Writing lets us store and share information beyond memory. Key Takeaway Use external tools to manage complex information. Themes communication technology society Mood analytical reflective Type historical educational When to use this quote - historical analysis - education - project management Key Concepts cognitive offloading record keeping Questions to Reflect On - How does externalizing thought change problem solving? - What modern tools act as “writing” today? A Different Perspective Writing alone does not guarantee understanding; interpretation matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-brain/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“As the number of inhabitants grew, so did the amount of information required to coordinate their affairs. 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