Nobody can live in isolation. We are made for one another and we are meant for one another. Our existence on earth is a collection of relationships. Relationships are a connection of persons. Imagine a world without people. Imagine a world with only one person. A world without people is not worth living. I remember watching the video of a song released by a prominent Nigerian Musician, Tuface Idibia titled “Only Me”. He accentuated the effects of loneliness. His message was clear: It is not good for man to be alone.
A basic understanding of the principles of interpersonal relationships is crucial to making the world a better place. No matter where you are and what you do, you’re always relating with people whether political, professional, marital or platonic.
The world has experienced a lot of malevolence since its foundation. Reports from news agencies all over the world are full of vices perpetuated by mankind. News of various kinds of crime is on the increase. We keep hearing of heart-breaking issues generated across nations of the earth. Terrorism, suicide bombings, religious crises, ethnic cleansing, political instability, war, marital unrest, corporate iniquities, to mention a few. Man’s inhumanity to man is a result of a lack of understanding of basic relationship principles.
We complicate issues because of misunderstanding. People of the world are collections of diverse cultures. However, no culture is independent. Every culture is dependent on the other. The world has been described as a global village where everybody relates like people of a single community. It therefore requires an understanding of how this village operates to be able to live effectively with people.
- ALL LIVES HAVE EQUAL VALUE
The human life is very sacred. Many nations of the world have been plagued by racism and tribalism at some point in time. The belief that a group of people is superior to the other has caused the loss of many lives all over the world. When this understanding is well established in our hearts, many problems will be solved. We are responsible for the situation of the world right now. The world will be a better place to live when we start valuing human lives. Holocaust and unnecessary killings will cease when people of different tribes understand that no tribe or race is superior to the other.
- WE ALL HAVE NEEDS
The quest for survival is the reason for human decisions and actions. People tend to gravitate towards that which satisfies their needs. All of us have basic needs that must be met to survive in the world. The satisfaction of our basic needs is pivotal to the continuity of our existence on earth. When we understand this principle, we’ll know that human decisions and actions are not fundamentally against us but for themselves. People don’t necessarily do things against us; they do things for themselves. The desire to satisfy self is a basic human trait. Doing that at the expense of others is an expression of the quest for survival.
Some needs are basic e.g. food, shelter, clothing and the need to be appreciated. Other needs are luxurious. For instance, the desire to either own a private jet or become a president is not basic. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with those desires. However we find out that some people can do anything to become a president even if it means assassinating an opponent. The opponent was not assassinated because the presidential aspirant just wanted him dead, but because the opponent was an hindrance to fulfilling his ambition or luxurious need.
- WE ALL HAVE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
No two human beings are the same. Everybody is unique. It has been proven scientifically that each person’s genetic composition is distinct. For Instance, no two persons have the same fingerprint. Understanding individual differences is crucial to effective interpersonal relationships. When you understand that the other person is different from you, you’ll cease from baseless expectations from people. Individual differences are the reason for personal preferences. It’s the reason people act the way they do.
- WE NEED ONE ANOTHER IF WE WANT TO EVOLVE
“Human beings only learn and evolve through relationship. How do we cultivate consciousness and wisdom? Through engagement. You see, it’s almost impossible for any of us to be authentically objective about ourselves. The only way we can see ourselves objectively is through the reflection of others. We can go off and sit in a cave and meditate for years, but we only really find out what happened in that cave when we come out and get involved with other people. So we need each other if we want to evolve.” – Andrew Cohen
We really need one another if we want to evolve and survive.
