“The Power of Storytelling: Exploring the Fictional Constructs of Religion, Ideologies, and Monarchies”

2023-05-09 04:00:00

In his book Sapienswhich has sold millions of copies worldwide, Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari says that man needs to tell stories to find meaning in his life.

Religions, for example, are fictions that have been created from scratch in an attempt to explain the world.

Ideologies too. Communism and capitalism do not exist per se.

These are stories that we have created.

“There are no gods in the universe, no nations, no money, no human rights, no laws or justice outside the common imagination of human beings,” Harari says.

THE ULTIMATE OF RIDICULOUS

Same thing for authority. No one has natural authority over other human beings. It is the members of a society who confer authority on someone.

We say: “This person represents authority and he must be obeyed. »

It’s like when you play soccer, and you choose a referee.

This person was not born a “referee”. She is not a “referee” by birth.

She was chosen by all the players to referee the game.

We give him a referee’s jersey, and we say: “This person is a referee. You have to respect his decisions, even if you don’t agree. »

I was thinking of Harari during the coronation of King Charles III.

For monarchists (those who believe in the fiction that is the monarchical system), this event was solemn, important.

Historical.

But for others, this coronation was the height of ridicule.

No, but what a monumental farce!

You take some old gentleman, you put a crown on his head and a stick in his hands, and suddenly, this individual who looks like millions of other individuals is invested with a special power!

Suddenly, you have to obey him! He becomes wise! He reigns over millions of human beings! Like that, just because he was born into the right family!

If it weren’t for the monarchical system, which was invented from scratch, the guy might be a postman, a grocer or a sweeper repairer! But because he has a stick in his hands, he becomes one of the most powerful people in the world!

It’s crazy, right?

THE CARNIVAL

Take religion.

Because a man has a funny hat on his head, he can tell millions of human beings not to eat this or that food, or not to turn on the light in their homes during the weekend!

When you think regarding it coldly, it’s completely crazy. We pick a guy, we say, “He’s going to be our spiritual guide,” and we obey his every decision, no matter how absurd and illogical.

“You’re only going to eat with your right hand!” »

Why not: “You are going to jump on one foot for 45 minutes every Thursday”?

I watched Charles and Camilla, with their ridiculous crowns on their heads, waving goodbye in their carriage, and I howled with laughter.

It looked like the Queen’s coronation at the Carnival of Quebec, with a big budget…

What are we waiting for to put an end to this masquerade which is costing us millions of dollars in pure loss?

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#Coronation #king #monumental #farce