Humanity by Design

Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, take a deep, slow breath, feel your diaphragm expanding, and hold that full breath for a moment… then slowly exhale. Repeat this action, but when breathing, focus the breath into your belly button and feel your belly expanding. As you breathe, feel all tension, stress, and worry leaving your body, leaving this moment. When you feel calm and centered, open your eyes and focus on this blog. See and feel the words.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that we are One species, we are United, we are a Family, we celebrate together and we suffer together. We share much more as a human species from a physical, mental, and metaphysical standpoint than we differ. However, given the state of the world, the state of society, how can that statement ever be true? The world seems like it’s in a terrible state, and it’s getting worse every day. It sometimes feels like the world is going to end very soon, either by climate change, war, or something even worse. Not that this author believes it but just voicing the opinions of others. Let's take a deep full breath and focus on the present to understand our shared human connection as well as see how we can remember our connectedness in a deeper way than ever before.

To that end, here is Microsoft Copilot's opinion about our similarities:

Physical Aspects

Bipedalism: Humans walk upright on two legs, which is a distinctive feature among primates.

Highly Developed Brain: Humans have large and complex brains, enabling advanced cognitive functions such as reasoning, problem-solving, and abstract thinking.

Dexterous Hands: Our hands are capable of precise movements, allowing us to create and use tools.

Genetic Aspects

DNA Similarity: Humans share about 99.9% of their DNA with each other, highlighting our genetic similarity.

Genetic Diversity: Despite the high similarity, humans exhibit significant genetic diversity, which contributes to variations in physical appearance, susceptibility to diseases, and other traits.

Social Aspects

Complex Social Structures: Humans form intricate social networks and communities, ranging from families to nations.

Communication: Language is a key feature, with humans using complex spoken, written, and non-verbal communication to share ideas and emotions.

Cultural Practices: Diverse cultures and traditions shape human societies, influencing everything from food and clothing to rituals and art.

Metaphysical Aspects

Search for Meaning: Humans have a profound desire to find purpose and meaning in life, often through religion, philosophy, and personal growth.

Creativity and Innovation: The ability to imagine, create, and innovate is a hallmark of humanity, seen in art, science, and technology.

Ethical and Moral Reasoning: Humans possess a sense of morality and ethics, guiding their behavior and interactions with others.

Now, the author’s opinion:

First, our shared ancestry. For followers of the Abrahamic faiths, we all have the same parents (Adam and Eve). In Hindu tradition, humanity descends from Manu. Indigenous stories are varied and unique; however, we all have a shared creation or emergence in these stories. Most belief systems, mythologies, cultures, and traditions talk about such shared ancestry or creation for all humans and we can’t forget that. If taking a science-based approach, there is the current view that Homo sapiens originated from Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago from a common group. At a minimum, we have the shared experience as a species with similar biological and physiological needs no matter where we are on the planet.

Next, let’s understand our shared needs and experiences. We, our ancestors, and many of the future generations live on the same planet though there are plans to explore and live on other worlds in the future. Can you believe that approximately 99.9% of our DNA is shared across all of humanity? From a scientific standpoint, these differences are primarily superficial such as skin color, gender, eye color, etc. Given that, we also have similar physical and mental potential. That explains why people all over the world set records, break barriers, achieve their own version of greatness, and then have others reach that same potential or even exceed it! A great example is the 4-minute mile. For decades, running 1 mile in under 4 minutes was considered impossible! Then along came Roger Bannister in 1954, who broke through this barrier. Since then, well over a thousand runners have achieved this milestone. Research on interpersonal neural synchronization suggests that when people focus on the same activity, such as meditation or listening to music, their brain activity can align. It’s beautiful. Lastly, humans have the same basic needs such as food, water, and love. We can all ‘survive’ without these things temporarily, but lacking even one will result in short- or long-term damage. When it comes to love, it’s this author’s opinion that all humans not just want but need to experience love. When that love isn't experienced be it family, romantic, friendship or worse, the opposite of love, that individual will carry some form of pain as a result. This pain can be passed on subconsciously throughout the generations. Imagine this pain at a family, society or race level. Humans all carry some form of pain and we are destined to continue on the same path as our ancestors with the same pain-based views or traditions unless we face them. Lastly, we share many traditions and beliefs which were created to help us survive, keep us safe or justify why we were above 'others', however, these belief systems may now hinder our ability to thrive and evolve as one species.

It’s time to focus on the 99.9% similarity for the benefit of all humans and the planet really, just like the family that we truly are. This evolving concept is meant to help individuals, governments, and corporations remember our shared humanity.