Three concepts of fictional influence on the world

Among the concepts invented by human beings, three have the most profound influence.

The first concept is nation and state.

Most of the people who read this article now should think that they are Chinese, just like me. However, China itself is an imaginary thing in our minds. It can't be seen or touched. It is a fictitious thing for nature.

No matter in terms of genetic structure, height and body shape, or even appearance and physique, we may not be fundamentally different from Japanese and Korean people.

However, as long as 1.4 billion people believe in this concept, believe in this story, and believe that we are all Chinese, not Japanese or Korean, we occupy the land of East Asia, and then there is China.

This is not only true in China, but also in other countries. When enough people believe that they are a country or a nation, there will be a country or a nation. When people no longer believe in this story, the country and nation will disintegrate.

Although the influence is far-reaching, the concept of state is limited to its territory, and its existence time is not necessarily long. Think about it, how many new countries have emerged in human society since the end of the second world war?

A consensus that has a broader and far-reaching influence than a nation or a state is religion.