Empowered Humanity Theory
Description
"Beyond our unique biology and conditioned personalities, our DNA shares common tendencies and capacities, our common humanity. In, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society; Nicholas A. Christakis describes these evolutionary traits as “the social suite”.
“At the core of all societies, is the social suite: (
1) The capacity to have and recognize individual identity
(2) Love for partners and offspring
(3) Friendship
(4) Social networks
(5) Cooperation
(6) Preference for one’s own group (that is, “in-group bias”)
(7) Mild hierarchy (that is, relative egalitarianism)
(8) Social learning and teaching”.
All human beings are hard-wired for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty as well as altruism, compassion, and empathy. These capacities are continuously being strengthened wittingly or unwittingly. Therefore, incorporating personal habits and larger systems and structures that consider humanity’s “social suite” and strive to cultivate our most positive traits while mitigating the malevolent is most beneficial. Empowered Humanity Theory (EHT) is a collection of six attitudes and practices designed with this in mind. EHT’s 3 Attitudes center human dignity, cultivating mindsets of inquiry, and compassion, and establishing a value-centered identity."