A closer look
The Han dynasty ruled for over four centuries—outlasting kingdoms, philosophies, and countless generations. Compare that to the lifespan of today’s giants: a tech company might dominate the world today but could vanish before your grandchildren even ask its name. Think about MySpace or Nokia: once empires, now history’s footnotes. The lesson? Longevity in human institutions is rarer than we think. Amazon, Google, Tesla—mighty as they are—may someday read like ancient chapters of power, just as strange to the future as jade dragons and silk routes are to us.
