We can't comprehend large numbers

Globalization

Gurwinder Bhogal explains that for most of human history, we lived in small tribes and only needed to count up to ten. It wasn't until the 20th century, with the advent of globalization, that large numbers began to significantly impact our lives. Today, we must comprehend billions of people when making decisions, a task our brains are not naturally equipped for 1.

For 300,000 years we lived in small tribes and we kind of only need to count up to ten, really. You know, we didn't really need to count any further than that in most cases.

--- Gurwinder Bhogal

This shift to a global village has created cognitive challenges that affect our ability to make informed decisions 1.

   

Decision-Making

The cognitive challenge of processing large numbers significantly affects our decision-making processes. Gurwinder Bhogal notes that our brains are not designed to handle the complexity of billions of people and interconnected societies 1. This limitation often leads to poor decision-making on a global scale.

Now we sort of have this kind of global village thing going on where we have to comprehend billions of people at once when we're making decisions. Our brains are just not made for that.

--- Gurwinder Bhogal

Understanding this cognitive limitation is crucial for improving how we approach global issues and make decisions 1.