![]() As long as everybody believes in the same fictions, we all obey the same laws and can thereby cooperate effectively. We are the only mammals that can cooperate with numerous strangers because only we can invent fictional stories, spread them around, and convince millions of others to believe in them. Homo sapiens is a post-truth species, who conquered this planet thanks above all to the unique human ability to create and spread fictions. In fact, humans have always lived in the age of post-truth. ![]() But if this is the era of post-truth, when, exactly, was the halcyon age of truth? And what triggered our transition to the post-truth era? The internet? Social media? The rise of Putin and Trump?Ī cursory look at history reveals that propaganda and disinformation are nothing new. We are repeatedly told these days that we have entered the terrifying new era of post-truth, in which not just particular facts but entire histories might be faked. It’s these shared beliefs that have helped humans cooperate and conquer the planet, explains historian Yuval Harari. ![]() ![]() ![]() Kiersten Essenpreis Shared fictions - in the form of news, religions, novels, sports, money, even brands - fill our lives, but that’s OK. ![]()
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