We are living in a world of expanding and shifting laws, rules and beliefs. Yet grand, big problem solving ideas languish. There seems to be a fear of what the ultimate details would be. We therefore endure the all to common expression: “the devil is in the details”. What if most humans were aware and understood we are all subject to the same forces? Would we evolve to a more conscious empathy level? There is but one human mold.
I wonder why we seem so at odds with each other. The Internet, social networks and TV media “breaking news” continuously connect us. I try to live by two favorite phrases: “What If? and Consider This”. Applying these led me to ask…could our species of Homo sapiens share universal truths? We are certainly evolving…but in what direction? Having access to knowledge itself hasn’t brought people to respect each other. All living things deserve respect. Albert Einstein went beyond science to say “our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty”.
Our world gets smaller as technology becomes increasingly more invasive. People sharing information have become the norm. The pipelines for global communication exist. What messages can be embedded that enhance human behavior? Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget wrote, “The child of three or four is saturated with adult rules. His universe is dominated by the idea that things are as they ought to be, that everyone’s actions conform to laws that are both physical and moral – in a word, that there is a Universal Order”.
In our 3 dimensional world of time and space some obvious physical similarities exist. We all have a general skeletal structure and DNA. All humans must have oxygen, water and nutrients to survive. The myriad of visual differences that exist within our physical world are just details. At the essence or core level it appears to me we are all connected. At the sub-atomic particle level, neutrinos are flowing through everything and this ancient matter cannot be created or destroyed. The particles from Cleopatra’s kingdom are still with us.
But why should I care whether there are other universal forces? For one thing…I’m curious. Beyond that, on a practical level, it seems hopeless for groups to solve problems, negotiate truces, select leaders, share resources and even communicate amicably. We seem to advance one step forward and two steps backwards. So, beyond physical similarities I need to consider metaphysical, divine and cultural influences. That gets really complicated considering all of our recorded history, but, if interested, there are wondrous books to read by the great philosophers and historians. Spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us “if you have the chance to be exposed to a loving, understanding environment where the seed of compassion, loving kindness, can be watered every day, then you become a more loving person”.
Cultural, economic, geographical, religious and political systems vary widely. Is that why we don’t subscribe to a set of common values? Our “filters” are so strong that we see and judge others through a lens that ignores even the possibility that we have much in common. Wealth, and compassion are strongly influenced by the personal interests of leaders, exclusive community groups and industrial interests. John Lennon gave us the song Imagine. So could an awareness of basic human needs be taught during childhood? Include meditation as practiced today by many and reactionary conflict might be reduced and lead to solutions to major problems? The Law of Attraction presented in movies and in adult classes has raised the consciousness of millions of people. We’re on the path…imagine if we could move forward faster?
Before going further let me clarify that I’m not trying to persuade you, the reader, to change religions, political parties, life styles, country or city. Certainly not alter those things you have earned, achieved and are personally grateful for. My search, not naively undertaken, is for simplicity and clarity in words that describe forces affecting us. Words are not very effective in communicating nuances, feelings and understanding. We know this from the challenge language translators and interpreters have as well as divorce statistics. Does that mean we shouldn’t try to assemble a list of the most likely agreed upon universal beliefs and behaviors. Not in any priority order of importance. People decide what they are comfortable with.
The biblical Ten Commandments have survived, as do some of Rome’s Parthenon pillars. Are there more elements of our very being that offered guidance and mutual understanding? “God’s dream”, noted Desmond Tutu, “ is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion”.
So here goes…forgive me, but don’t forget, that even what seems obvious isn’t necessarily what exists. Of all the planet’s organisms it is just humans that inquire and search for answers. What bind’s us together?
- We only know what we know…we acknowledge and seek what is unknown.
- There is both feminine and masculine within us.
- Everything is made of energy that flows around and through us and has its own unique electro-magnetic fields.
- A healthy human body electrical frequency is 68 to 72 Hz.
- Like attracts like, whether positive or negative.
- We experience tests and stress as choices to exercise our free will.
- Human wants translate into some kind of action.
- Actions produce reactions in all that we do…cause and effect.
- Everything has an opposite … as above, so below.
- There is a natural energy moving around us…vibrating in patterns and cycles…we can raise our own vibrations to match.
- Being acknowledged is critical. Joy is not always present.
- We all experience loss. To be loved is innate.
Our most basic human needs revolve around food, shelter and clothing.
The specific objects, events and designs flowing from satisfying these needs vary beyond belief. We might marvel at an individual’s ingenuity or harshly judge it to be backward and primitive. Kindness, respect, compassion and generosity are the touchstones of an evolved society. These should be our goals, just as Sinatra’s melodic “Fly Me to the Moon” took time, but was achieved.
