We are surrounded by noise. Every day, news articles, social media, and AI-generated content pull our attention toward countless global issues and their supposed solutions. It’s easy to feel lost, unsure of what is fact and what is fiction. I picked up Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st Century — to seek clarity, to understand better about our current world.

The book explores 21 critical issues, from the rise of AI, the challenge to liberty, climate change, education, to the search for meaning. As with Harari’s other books, I found the depth of his knowledge and thinking so immense. Honestly, I probably understood only about 20% of the historical events and complex arguments he presented.

But I’ve learned that you don’t need to grasp everything to be changed by a book. Whether you absorb 20%, 10%, or even just one powerful idea, if it truly resonates with you, if it can change your mind, the book has done its job.

For me, one lesson stood out above all others is: What should we learn to survive and thrive in the age of AI?

Everything is changing at a dizzying pace. We often feel that our skills are becoming outdated. We’re used to the idea of jobs changing, but what happens when entire professions become obsolete in a short time? In the future, we may need to change not our jobs, but our professions three or four times in our lives. How can we adapt to it?

Changing is difficult, especially as we age. Imagine you need to learn a completely new skill in your thirties or forties — it’s not really a big deal. Then imagine having to learn something new and complex again in your fifties or sixties. That becomes a big deal. How can we cope with such a demand for constant change? To adapt to this world, we need the mindset and ability to learn new things. But more importantly, we need the mental stamina to handle these stressful changes.

The book also explores the three greatest threats we humans are facing on our planet: nuclear war, technological disruption, and climate change. It was this last one, climate change, that forced me to think most deeply about my own role.

I know climate change is causing devastation, but I haven’t always felt its urgency. Why? First, I live in a place that hasn’t been severely affected, which has shaped my perspective. Second, I admit my own ignorance on the topic; it has always been a low priority on my long reading list. Third, there’s a tempting thought that the worst effects won’t happen in my lifetime, or even my children’s.

It all comes down to what we feel responsible for. Is our duty limited to ourselves and our families? Or does it extend to our communities? What about future generations? Do we have a responsibility to leave them a healthy, habitable planet? The answers to these questions — and the actions we take — depend on the responsibilities we choose to accept. Taking on more is never easy. But is life ever easy?

This book, like Harari’s others, made me aware of my own ignorance. It reminded me that the first step is to realize what we don’t know. Only then can we figure out what we need to know and, eventually, learn how to act.

This book helped me with the first part — knowing the right things to do. Now, my search begins for the books that will help me with the second — learning how to do them right.