daily reflections: what I learnt from the past 13,000 years

History is filled with wisdom, if we’re willing to look.

Recently, I read about how we lived with each other in the past 13,000 years. There’s a lot of fascinating stories in the book — and a lot of things I wasn’t aware of. Either way, the important part of reading history is to learn from others’ mistakes.

So here’s a quick reflection on what I learnt.

Book: Guns, Germs and Steel 
Jared Diamond

There’s a lot of stories and factual sharing in the book - and while it discusses issues are the macro level, a number of lessons are easily transferable to our personal lives.

If I could summarise my takeaway of the book in one word: humility.

1 The Role of Environment in Shaping Success

Success is often context-dependent, and environmental advantages play a critical role.

• Regions that flourish in the past had a unique combination of domesticable plants and animals, fertile soil, and a favorable climate.

• This allowed agriculture to develop early, providing food surpluses that supported larger, more complex societies.

It sounds obvious when written — but few of us do anything about trying to change our environment despite knowing the significant influence it has over us.

2 The Power of Adaptability

Adaptability to changing conditions fosters resilience and long-term growth.

• Societies that transitioned from foraging to farming adapted to new challenges and thrived. Farming allowed food storage, population growth, and specialization of labor.

• Regions that stuck to foraging faced limitations in growth.

Similar to how companies struggle to adapt to disruption in their industries, individuals who are more adaptable can survive better than others. Being adaptable is easier said than done — it means being able to accept that you’re wrong, it means embracing change and going out of your comfort zone, it means starting over again.

You usually need someone to tell you this — it’s really hard to see it for yourself.

At the same time, don’t take it to mean jumping from one trend to another. A key skill involved here is about understanding what is game-changing.

3 Long-Term Thinking and Planning

Long-term investments (e.g., education, skills) can yield sustained benefits.

• Societies like those in Eurasia, which prioritized food storage and planned for future needs, became more resilient.

• Compared with hunter-gatherer societies that relied on immediate resources, they were less able to deal with catastrophic events.

People often link this to discipline and patience — instead of getting that quick dopamine fix, focus on delaying gratification to create something more worthwhile.

Again, good advice but difficult for most people. Think about it — what are you doing these days that is mainly for future you?

4 Importance of Technology and Innovation (or Knowledge generally)

Embrace innovation and stay ahead by adopting new tools and methods.

• The Spanish conquest of the Inca shows how European advancements in steel weapons, ships, and navigation enabled them to dominate the Americas.

Technology has always been a key indicator of a country’s superior wealth and prowess. It’s why every country invests so much in its advancement.

More generally, technological advancement more than just knowledge expansion — being able to execute and apply it to valuable areas is important too.

As I say this, I’m aware that new technology has its flaws — making us closer yet further apart at the same time. And stuff about addiction, not being present, and more.

But these are simply manifestations of root issues we have, removing technology will not address the problem.

Interestingly, writing the above feels like I’m covering many aspects but really, it all points to one thing: humility.

• Knowing that what you have is the result of more than just your actions - it involves luck and circumstance - and to be thankful

• Focus on becoming better than yesterday, and continuously learn and adapt for the future

And that’s it. Thanks for reading.

Being humble is more than just a social good,
Joesurf

P.s. Let me know how I can write better by replying to this email.