Essay on the article of Yuval Noah Harari “on what year 2050 has in store for humankind”

Kseniia Lapan

We live in the era of great achievements and technological progress. Our life seems to be
solid, sustainable and well-adjusted. However, the very core of our existence is as fragile as
ever.
Yuval Noah Harari has raised many relevant issues in his article that correspond with me. As
a young person I am sensitive to the information overload that we are experiencing
nowadays. It takes immense concentration and critical thinking ability to navigate your way
through all the nonsense and discover so as the modicum of the truth. I think my generation is
also facing the problem of indecisiveness. As before the Information Age the lack of
knowledge complicated the process of choosing, so does now the abundance of information
lead to confusion and misconceptions. The abundance of possibilities stresses the mind out,
as it cannot process all of them thoroughly, and the probability of making a wrong choice
increases. We have developed the fear of choice itself. The speed of the life around us and the
concept of prosperity and success that runs in our society puts high expectations on students.
It is easy to lose your way and start following the expectations of others. So, despite all the
opportunities that young people are provided with in today’s world, they often end up lost,
drowning in this sea of unfulfilled chances and wasted potential.
So how do we cope with stress? How to not let the fear shut us down? The unpredictable
course of life compels us to search for the balance inside. I believe it is important to find your
fulcrum of existence that will keep you grounded and bonded with reality no matter how
challenging or ever-changing it gets. There is nothing wrong with the chaos and uncertainty.
Everything in our world was born out of chaos. Diving into the unknown is the catalyst for
growth and inner development. To resist change is to make it even more painful. Acceptance
of your ignorance, inability and lack of control is sometimes the only way to move forward. I
believe that by trusting the world around you and letting it guide you we can achieve more
than by constant fighting. I believe that in the world where a profound uncertainty is the new
reality, the one thing that will function as an anchor of your existence and will keep you on
the surface of the rapidly changing world is mental health. It is necessary to learn how to
build psychological defences and be a self-sufficient person. The one thing that has guided
me through the hardest periods of my life when I felt lost and overwhelmed by chops and
changes was the inner stability. Realising that I have enough resources in me to cope with
outer chaos and rely on myself instead of searching for external constants.
I agree with the author of the article that nothing is as important as self-knowledge. To truly
know your sincerest wishes and stay in touch with yourself is to be free from the harmful
influences of the outside world. I consider it to be the natural process of growing up. To
become an adult is to start questioning everything you have been told as a kid to get rid of the
useless patterns and rearrange your life. Separation allows youngsters to establish their own
social attitudes and values, that were acquired during this “on your own” time.
I can also relate to the problem of privacy that has been mentioned in this text. Indeed, in the
world where social interactions determine the viability of an individual and people are
encouraged to always be part of something, it can be challenging to establish personal
boundaries and protect your freedom. Not to mention the amount of personal information at
the disposal of technologies. As a young person I am very susceptible to external influence,
because I am still in the process of character building. But I don’t agree with the statement of
Harari that I have to run faster to have control over my existence. I believe I am better off
living at my own pace. Slow enough to perceive phenomena around me, fast enough to react
to them.
To conclude,