--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We assume that a large brain, the use of…" description: "\"“We assume that a large brain, the use of tools, superior learning abilities and complex social structures are huge advantages. Only in the last 100,00..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/yuval-noah-harari-100_animals_we-assume-that-a-large-brain-the-use-of_2695932.jpg" --- # We assume that a large brain, the use of tools, superior… ![“We assume that a large brain, the use of tools, superior learning abilities and complex social structures are huge advantages. Only in the last 100,000 years – with the rise of Homo sapiens – that man jumped to the top of the food chain. That spectacular leap from the middle to the top had…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/yuval-noah-harari-100_animals_we-assume-that-a-large-brain-the-use-of_2695932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/yuval-noah-harari-100_animals_we-assume-that-a-large-brain-the-use-of_2695932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/yuval-noah-harari-100_animals_we-assume-that-a-large-brain-the-use-of_2695932.jpg) > ““We assume that a large brain, the use of tools, superior learning abilities and complex social structures are huge advantages. Only in the last 100,000 years – with the rise of Homo sapiens – that man jumped to the top of the food chain. That spectacular leap from the middle to the top had enormous consequences. Other animals at the top of the pyramid, such as lions and sharks, evolved into that position very gradually, over millions of years. This enabled the ecosystem to develop checks and balances that prevent lions and sharks from wreaking too much havoc. As lions became deadlier, so gazelles evolved to run faster, hyenas to cooperate better, and rhinoceroses to be more bad-tempered. In contrast, humankind ascended to the top so quickly that the ecosystem was not given time to adjust. Moreover, humans themselves failed to adjust. Most top predators of the planet are majestic creatures. Millions of years of dominion have filled them with self-confidence. Sapiens by contrast is more like a banana republic dictator. Having so recently been one of the underdogs of the savannah, we are full of fears and anxieties over our position, which makes us doubly cruel and dangerous. Many historical calamities, from deadly wars to ecological catastrophes, have resulted from this over-hasty jump.”” [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. Human rapid ascent to dominance disrupted ecological balance, leading to crises and self‑destructive behavior. **In simple terms:** Humans rose too fast, causing problems. Key Takeaway Recognize and mitigate our impact. Themes evolution dominance ecology human nature Mood cautionary thought‑provoking Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - environmental policy - education - global cooperation Key Concepts rapid change ecosystem imbalance Questions to Reflect On - What steps can humanity take to restore ecological balance? - How can we temper our “banana republic” tendencies? A Different Perspective Rapid dominance can cause irreversible damage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Checks and balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks-and-balances/) [Confidence Sapiens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence-sapiens-2695036/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Faster Hyenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faster-hyenas-2695035/) [Food chain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-chain/) [Gazelles Evolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gazelles-evolved-2695034/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Pyramid Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pyramid-lions-2695032/) [Sharks Evolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sharks-evolved-2695033/) ## Related quotes > [Politicians, in many cases - their moral code will be dictated by what can get them reelected, what they can get away with. 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I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We assume that a large brain, the use of tools, superior learning abilities and complex social structures are huge advantages. Only in the last 100,000 years – with the rise of Homo sapiens – that man jumped to the top of the food chain. That spectacular leap from the middle to the top had enormous consequences. Other animals at the top of the pyramid, such as lions and sharks, evolved into that position very gradually, over millions of years. This enabled the ecosystem to develop checks and balances that prevent lions and sharks from wreaking too much havoc. As lions became deadlier, so gazelles evolved to run faster, hyenas to cooperate better, and rhinoceroses to be more bad-tempered. In contrast, humankind ascended to the top so quickly that the ecosystem was not given time to adjust. Moreover, humans themselves failed to adjust. Most top predators of the planet are majestic creatures. Millions of years of dominion have filled them with self-confidence. Sapiens by contrast is more like a banana republic dictator. Having so recently been one of the underdogs of the savannah, we are full of fears and anxieties over our position, which makes us doubly cruel and dangerous. 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