People, we are all the same

Conflict, hatred, war, prejudice, fear and many other ills all seem to stem from the focus on differences between people. However, Ewan McGregor, in Long way round, made a simple yet profound statement. He said “we’ve come this far and people’s faces have changed and people’s houses have changed and people’s beliefs may have changed but ultimately we’re not any different from one another…We all love our kids, we all need somewhere to sleep, we all need some food and we’re not all that different. The world isn’t that big a place, what a mess we’re making, what a mess is being made of the world and, you know, we’re all just the same.” (1)

This is a fundamental truth. When looking at the world from the point of view that we are all human beings with the need to survive, have sufficient food and water, somewhere safe to live and sleep, love and care for family and friends it must surely bring us closer together. Take away the peripheral and unimportant differences of race, colour, religion, sexuality etc and we find that we are all here sharing the only world we have, trying to do the best we can, the best way we know how. Rather than focusing on complexities and differences perhaps a consideration of this simple truth will unite us in the quest to enjoy a peaceful and more meaningful life, a life shared with our human brothers and sisters.

The recognition that we all do have fundamental things that unite us, that we’re not that different after all, should help us to find common ground in the resolution and settlement of disputes. World peace and end to poverty, how easy it seems to be, how easy it should be.

This article first appeared in May, 2016 in Open Exchange. Used with permission.

(1) Ewan McGregor, The long way round