In a world of close to 8 Billion people, the solution to that rhetorical question seems as complicated as solving the origin of the Big Bang and discovering what, if anything, came before it.

We are a species connected by our shared humanity but we act ever-more separate due to the liberalism myth of individuality.

We Live In a Paradoxical Duality

Our humanity connects us, but it doesn’t necessarily protect us.

This is especially true for LGBTQ+ people in Poland, Chechnya, and Russia. Dominant religious myths and political parties have deemed our lives a threat to societal mores and values — or that we are non-existent entities, i.e., we simply do not exist in their country. Feel free to substitute LGBTQ+ with any other marginalized identity or group of people.

The cult of identity, at its worst, sees humanism as a lack of personal liberty.

In other words, there is a lack of communing with people considered "other" and thus, disposable.

Returning to the organizational myths that manage and control societies, some attempt to connect us (like capitalism) while others like fundamentalist religions and oppressive political regimes dehumanize and separate creating a binary of us versus them.

There is nothing more powerful than fear and disgust to motivate groups of people (including an entire country) to agree to restrictive laws and harsh criminal sentences in exchange for the prediction and response of what you are told to believe (indoctrination) that will keep you safe — as promised by the patriarchal state.

It's unlikely that we can all just get along.

It's not pragmatic, realistic, or even human nature. However, we can build bridges that connect more of us, bridges that people feel safe crossing — regardless of individual values or beliefs — to start a meaningful, humane dialogue.