Can all humans really aspire to same set of values?
It is often the case that one cannot see the other’s values. Whether that is because of cultural considerations, human limitations or any other reason is generally less important at this point. The fact is, we do not see eye-to-eye on everything, nor should we. But it is also a fact that, while this remains the case, we cannot even begin to start a meaningful dialogue on values without first working to gain a mutual understanding of each other’s values.
There is the crux of the answer to our headline quest and question:
Understanding values.
If we can start to understand the values that make us all unique, we can begin to build bridges toward others. Today, this idea is not a luxury. It is a necessity for better, more inclusive policymaking that can help us all achieve value outcomes that unite us with others to deal more effectively with global challenges.
Understanding values will allow us to explore new horizons for collaboration between more of us, more often. We need to find a way that each of us can live and breathe independently yet remain connected to others in working for the betterment of society at large.
To make the point of how this could work, I often give an example that relates to our natural world.
I love trees — they remind me that we, too, all have roots and branches. We have indelible roots in the invisible, unarticulated world beneath the soil. And we all have things that we aspire to, reach out for and grow toward in the visible world above. Who we are and what we do is a result of our roots and branches.
It is our mission to make what is invisible, beneath the surface in human individuals and communities, visible so as to better see, understand and articulate what make us the way we are.
Similar to trees in a forest, humanity is interwoven with each other with roots that reach and extend way beneath the surface, back to our origins. There is so much potential for us to stand and grow together given this ancient connection.
However, to master that connection we have to understand, respect, and celebrate what holds us together. It is in our roots. Roots that bind us and which can be found in our common values.
Each of us is proud of our individuality, just as each tree stands proud and tall. As individuals, institutions, communities, as countries and as a humanity, we are all proud of our unique traits in various different contexts. When two Saudis meet with someone from the UAE, the Saudis feel connected through their nationality and seek to explore understanding and appreciation toward the Emirati. However, should the Saudis and the Emirati now meet someone from India they bond through their Arabian Peninsula heritage and feel excited to explore further connections with what makes an Indian Indian.
Taking this further, should the Saudis, the Emirati and the Indian meet someone from Germany, they feel united by their Asian history and seek to explore what makes the German European.
The case multiplies every time a new set of cultures connect and meet — we always find mutual ground. It continues until we reach the point that we are united by being human, perhaps when we are eventually confronted by, or discover, an extra-terrestrial life form. The hypothesis stands to reason. And given that this is the case, why can we not find mutual ground in our human-centric values more often?
And yet, it is in the balance between our unique values and our common values that we most excitedly forge forward. Welcome to the exploration of our humanity.