What are the fundamental commonalities that unite all human beings?

All men and women are created equal. One sign of proof of this is that all people of sound mind and body across all political, religious, racial, or any other divide agree that infants deserve protection. In the beginning we are all the same.

So, if we start from infancy completely equal, let us imagine what the ideal circumstances are that we could apply to any human being to optimize their chances for success in life. Let us refer to the collection of these ideal circumstances as Universal Principles for Being a Human Being.

I believe that it is within the universal principles for being a human being that we can find a true path to world peace. These principles are the same for all homo sapiens across all imaginary subdivisions of humanity.

Universal Principles for Being a Human Being

• 1. CO2 – clean air
• 2. H20 – clean water
• 3. Food – proper nutrition
• 4. Wellness – access to physical and mental healthcare – it’s a matter of when not if
• 5. Shelter – housing, clothing – protection from temperature and elements
• 6. Energy – fire, electricity, mobility
• 7. Education & Information
• 8. Self discovery – self-development, awareness training, meditation, spirituality, religion
• 9. Free expression – expressing our ideas, both creating and consuming art
• 10. Positive relationships – love – family, friends, significant others, teachers, role models

A solution to every problem?

When we grow a human being with all ten of these Universal Principles for Being a Human Being provided in healthy ways that are perceived to be long lasting, that person grows to their optimum potential. This is not to say that said human will not face challenges and suffering or make bad decisions. It only means that when these circumstances arise, we are best suited to handle them when we have long standing, continuous access to the basic needs of humanity. Try dealing with a problem when you are not feeling well. It’s significantly harder. Sure you could still overcome the problem, but in feeling physically well, it’s just plain easier.

Study our relationship to these principles

Just about all happiness and suffering in our life can be traced back to our relationship to these 10 principles; especially our relationship to them when we were children. Do we approach each principle from a place of scarcity or abundance in our lives? When we are lacking, or even think we are lacking, in any of these categories we can find a rippling connection of limits. Even if we can point at a specific event or thing that is causing suffering in someone’s life seemingly distinct from this list of ten, it is the resulting suffering that we trace back to the Universal Principles. By studying the challenges in our own lives and how they relate to these ten necessities we can boost our ability to find solutions!

It should also be restated that these are broad principles that apply to all, or nearly all, typical human beings. This is not the same as saying that all humans can be raised under the exact same circumstances. Our individuality is proven by the infinite paths to human happiness… the Universal Principles for Being a Human Being point at what is the same about all of those paths to happiness.

By focusing on providing these ten basic needs, we can break up the overwhelming challenge of creating true world peace into more manageable chunks. Relatively speaking… 🙂

What say you?

Have we missed any universal principles for being a human being on this list? Leave a comment below to let us know.