Wisdom from ancient mythology

Noted historian Yuval Noah Harari, in the prologue to his latest book (Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI) asks,

Why are we so good at accumulating more information and power, but far less successful at acquiring wisdom? (page xii)

An earlier Harari book (Sapiens) explores a brief history of our species, (Sapiens means The Wise Human, see note 292 at this link), yet in Nexus he wonders why, if we are so wise, are we so self-destructive?

He says many traditions have believed some fatal flaw in our nature tempts us to pursue powers we are unable to handle. They were not necessarily wrong.

The Greek myth of Phaethon told of a boy who learns he is the son of Helios the sun god. 

Despite Helios' fervent warnings and attempts to talk him out of it, counting the numerous dangers he would face in his celestial journey and reminding Phaethon that only he can control the horses, the boy is not dissuaded and does not change his mind. He is then allowed to take the chariot's reins; his ride is disastrous, as he cannot keep a firm grip on the horses. As a result, he drives the chariot too close to the Earth, burning it, and too far from it, freezing it.

Millennia later, Goethe wrote a similar cautionary tale (poem), "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." A century later, Disney popularized Goethe's poem in an animated film. 

Cut to the chase, warnings have been many. Adapting to the challenges presented have been limited and perhaps often awkward. Think unintended consequences.

Harari, who has more understanding of history than I (and most likely than you), suggests, also in the Nexus prologue,

The fables offer no answers, other than to wait for some god or sorcerer to save us. This, of course, is an extremely dangerous message. It encourages people to abdicate responsibility and put their faith in gods [God?] and sorcerers instead. Even worse, it fails to appreciate that gods and sorcerers are themselves a human invention--just like chariots, brooms, and algorithms. 

Harari's Nexus sees danger in AI, which has been called Artificial Intelligence. But Harari considers it analogous to an Alien Intelligence.

I am confident there will be positive and negative consequences from the wider spread of AI.

I'm not sure (yet) the extent to which Harari is optimistic or pessimistic about AI.

As an aside, it may be reasonable to characterize Trump as an alien intelligence. I use the word "intelligence" here with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

However, I believe the prologue to Nexus describes well the dilemma facing the American Electorate in the rapidly approaching 2014 general election. 

Not simply in the presidential contest. Control of both chambers of Congress, as well as many of the 50 state legislatures are at stake. Project 2025 is NOT something the Right-Wing is aiming to implement only at the federal level.

I know what I will choose/vote for. But I'm not the only American voter.  

Overall, I have been and am optimistic that the problem of Trump will fade away soon. Even if it doesn't, it's still OUR responsibility to exercise our citizenship to seize the reigns of society and politics to direct government at every level and jurisdiction in the United States of America.