Can Mindfulness Prevent the Harari Hack?

Have you ever felt like you were useless?

Like nothing you did mattered, no one cared about what you said, and there was no way for you to get ahead? You’d probably unload if someone told you this to your face.

This is how a lot of people react to well-known futurist Yuval Noah Harari.

He claimed new technology would raise a class of “useless eaters.” Flattering, I know…

One of the worst things someone can feel is not being worth anything.
– Yuval Harari

As he tells it, people who own the means of production will innovate away the need for unskilled labor. Since this development class strives to do more with less, unskilled labor will lose its purpose.

When people gain no purpose from work, they do bad things to their neighbors and leaders. To avoid this, he suggests the development class pay the unskilled to play video games at home. That is, until they gain enough skill to be useful again.

So, this seems anti-human. But there’s an easy solution people aren’t tapping into that keeps them out of trouble. And it’s much closer to home than you realize.

What is a “Hackable animal”, really?

What’s keeping the unskilled from being useful, then?

Much of the problem comes from his labeling humans “hackable animals”. In the age of genetic engineering, this is usually taken as changing a person’s DNA. Side effects be damned! 

But let’s not go that far. After all, good sales and marketing people love to study human psychology. This field gives amazing insight on how to convince prospects that a product meets their needs. 

Rather than injecting with a needle, picture securing a micro-commitment. Or offer several small, free gifts in advance of your pitch. These pave the way for, or “hack”, your prospect to buy something. 

On the best days, this presents an angle people may not have otherwise considered. It could even lead to a better quality of life.

In the age of constant pitching, though? People now have a lower attention span than a goldfish. That’s 8 seconds, if you’re keeping track.

That makes life about snap judgements and reactions to do something. But moving on to the next loud noise leads to an endless cycle of rework. Just like impulse buying never fulfills anyone.

If you don’t control your own mind, you will be “hackable” and subject to the whims of everyone selling to you. 

Taking Time to Breathe

So, how do you reclaim control and find new opportunities when everyone is selling you theirs?

You can start with Harari’s recommendation to spend time being aware of yourself and your thoughts. It might avoid confusion if he didn’t wait until the last 5 minutes of every interview to recommend this.

Ready to try it? 

• Close your eyes.
• Take a deep breath in.
• Hold it for 4 seconds.
• Release your breath.
• And repeat…

Do you feel a little more connected to your body now? It’s that simple.

Now that you’re more connected, think about what you want in your life and focus on those few things. It’s amazing how much the rest of life falls into place without you reacting to it.

And you’re not alone. Big tech may dominate advertising, but the people have spoken on how much they need in their lives. Just look at the Nasdaq over the last year:

So, focus some conscious effort to become less hackable and build your skills. The fear of becoming a useless eater will melt away.

Want to read more on how to guard yourself from behavior hacking? Check out Cialdini’s Influence at Amazon.com.