--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Under the right circumstances myths can…" description: "\"“Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In 1789 the French population switched almost overnight from believing in the myth of the divi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg" --- # Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In… ![“Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In 1789 the French population switched almost overnight from believing in the myth of the divine right of kings to believing in the myth of the sovereignty of the people. Consequently, ever since the Cognitive Revolution Homo sapiens has been…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg) > ““Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In 1789 the French population switched almost overnight from believing in the myth of the divine right of kings to believing in the myth of the sovereignty of the people. Consequently, ever since the Cognitive Revolution Homo sapiens has been able to revise its behaviour rapidly in accordance with changing needs. This opened a fast lane of cultural evolution, bypassing the traffic jams of genetic evolution. Speeding down this fast lane, Homo sapiens soon far outstripped all other human and animal species in its ability to cooperate.”” [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. Myths can shift quickly, allowing rapid cultural change that outpaces genetic evolution, enabling unprecedented cooperation **In simple terms:** Human societies evolve fast through shared stories and beliefs Key Takeaway Leverage shared narratives to accelerate collective progress Themes history culture evolution Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - education - policy making - social movements Key Concepts mythmaking cognitive revolution cooperation Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure new myths are beneficial? - What safeguards protect against harmful rapid cultural change? A Different Perspective Rapid cultural shifts can cause instability if myths are untested ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believing Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believing-myth-899610/) [Cultural Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-evolution-704951/) [Fast lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fast-lane/) [Homo sapiens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homo-sapiens/) [Myth Sovereignty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth-sovereignty-899609/) [Myths Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myths-change-899608/) ## Related quotes > [“In 1789 the French population switched almost overnight from believing in the myth of the divine right of kings to believing in the myth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/in-1789-the-french-population-switched-almost-overnight-from/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Since large-scale human cooperation is based on myths, the way people cooperate can be altered by changing the myths – by telling different stories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/since-large-scale-human-cooperation-is-based-on-myths-the-way-people/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Like almost everyone else in America, I grew up believing the myth of the objective scientist. Fortunately I was raised on the edges of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vine-deloria-jr/like-almost-everyone-else-in-america-i-grew-up-believing-the-myth-of/) [Vine Deloria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vine-deloria-jr/) > [Kangana has started believing in her own myth. She says she taught feminism to the film industry, she taught it nationalism. I'm glad she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shabana-azmi/kangana-has-started-believing-in-her-own-myth-she-says-she-taught/) [Shabana Azmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shabana-azmi/) > [“Homo sapiens drove to extinction about half of the planet’s big beasts long before humans invented the wheel, writing or iron tools.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/homo-sapiens-drove-to-extinction-about-half-of-the-planet-s-big/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Dataism thereby threatens to do to Homo sapiens what Homo sapiens has done to all other animals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/dataism-thereby-threatens-to-do-to-homo-sapiens-what-homo-sapiens-has/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [When the first humans reached Australia about 45,000 years ago, they quickly drove to extinction 90% of its large animals. This was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/when-the-first-humans-reached-australia-about-45-000-years-ago-they/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“To understand the rise of Christianity or the French Revolution, it is not enough to comprehend the interaction of genes, hormones and organisms. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/to-understand-the-rise-of-christianity-or-the-french-revolution-it-is/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [We are probably one of the last generations of Homo sapiens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/we-are-probably-one-of-the-last-generations-of-homo-sapiens/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Seventy thousand years ago, Homo sapiens was still an insignificant animal minding its own business in a corner of Africa. In the following millennia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/seventy-thousand-years-ago-homo-sapiens-was-still-an-insignificant/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Humans nowadays completely dominate the planet not because the individual human is far smarter and more nimble-fingered than the individual chimp or wolf, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/humans-nowadays-completely-dominate-the-planet-not-because-the/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“An algorithm is a methodical set of steps that can be used to make calculations, resolve problems and reach decisions. An algorithm isn’t a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/an-algorithm-is-a-methodical-set-of-steps-that-can-be-used-to-make/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Writing was born as the maidservant of human consciousness, but is increasingly becoming its master. Our computers have trouble understanding how Homo sapiens talks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/writing-was-born-as-the-maidservant-of-human-consciousness-but-is/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“technology. Homo sapiens is an obsolete algorithm. After all, what’s the advantage of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/technology-homo-sapiens-is-an-obsolete-algorithm-after-all-what-s-the/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Archaic humans paid for their large brains in two ways. Firstly, they spent more time in search of food. Secondly, their muscles atrophied. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/archaic-humans-paid-for-their-large-brains-in-two-ways-firstly-they/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More by Yuval Noah Harari > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) [Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More Fast lane quotes > [Living the dream in the fast lane Dont seem to care about troubles Exactly this is what we see...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose/living-the-dream-in-the-fast-lane-dont-seem-to-care-about-troubles/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose/) > [I sometimes forget that life is fragile. The fact that I have more time to dream my dreams and take my ease is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luci-swindoll/i-sometimes-forget-that-life-is-fragile-the-fact-that-i-have-more/) [Luci Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luci-swindoll/) > [Livin in the fast lane eyes on the road, hand on the wheel empty bottles on the flooo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-meekins/livin-in-the-fast-lane-eyes-on-the-road-hand-on-the-wheel-empty/) [Cam Meekins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-meekins/) > [My mental analogy for TalkTalk is an ageing Ford Cortina going flat out in the fast lane of the M4 in the pouring rain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dido-harding/my-mental-analogy-for-talktalk-is-an-ageing-ford-cortina-going-flat/) [Dido Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dido-harding/) > [This is the fast lane, folks...and some of us like it here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/this-is-the-fast-lane-folks-and-some-of-us-like-it-here/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [This isn't life in the fast lane, it's life in the oncoming traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-isn-t-life-in-the-fast-lane-it-s-life-in-the-oncoming-traffic/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Healing does not take place in the fast lane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angeles-arrien/healing-does-not-take-place-in-the-fast-lane/) [Angeles Arrien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angeles-arrien/) > [“He was a professional athlete and coach, a Ferrari who lived his life in the fast lane. She was a girl-next-door kind of girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-march/he-was-a-professional-athlete-and-coach-a-ferrari-who-lived-his-life/) [Emily March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-march/) > [“You are too afraid to let go of the past and live your life to its fullest. You have envied people so, you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenty-rosse/you-are-too-afraid-to-let-go-of-the-past-and-live-your-life-to-its/) [Kenty Rosse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenty-rosse/) > [I love the fast lane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-gabor/i-love-the-fast-lane/) [Eva Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-gabor/) > [“But life in the fast lane took a toll on men who cared and it was eating Jonas one small piece at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/but-life-in-the-fast-lane-took-a-toll-on-men-who-cared-and-it-was/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [Don't get in the fast lane if you're going to drive slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-lobbins/don-t-get-in-the-fast-lane-if-you-re-going-to-drive-slow/) [Danielle Lobbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-lobbins/) > [“It's fate, but fate just gives us a nudge in the right direction onthe fast lane, I guarantee she doesn't have her hands in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/it-s-fate-but-fate-just-gives-us-a-nudge-in-the-right-direction-onthe/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [Life's not fair, is it? Some of us drink champagne in the fast lane, and some of us eat our sandwiches by the loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-wood/life-s-not-fair-is-it-some-of-us-drink-champagne-in-the-fast-lane-and/) [Victoria Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-wood/) > [It never happens in Europe, and I'm not sure how often it happens here in Australia, but in Hawaii and all over the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-mcnamara/it-never-happens-in-europe-and-i-m-not-sure-how-often-it-happens-here/) [Garrett McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-mcnamara/) [Browse all 48 Fast lane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fast-lane/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In 1789 the French population switched almost overnight from believing in the myth of the divine right of kings to believing in the myth of the sovereignty of the people. Consequently, ever since the Cognitive Revolution Homo sapiens has been able to revise its behaviour rapidly in accordance with changing needs. This opened a fast lane of cultural evolution, bypassing the traffic jams of genetic evolution. Speeding down this fast lane, Homo sapiens soon far outstripped all other human and animal species in its ability to cooperate.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yuval Noah Harari" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can-change-rapidly-in-1789-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fast lane" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can-change-rapidly-in-1789-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/yuval-noah-harari-100_fast-lane_under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can_2484486.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Under the right circumstances myths can change rapidly. In 1789 the French population switched almost…” — Yuval Noah Harari", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Yuval Noah Harari", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Under the right circumstances myths can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can-change-rapidly-in-1789-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/under-the-right-circumstances-myths-can-change-rapidly-in-1789-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```