universal truths
I feel there are very few universal truths - not those society has invented - but actual truths with irrefutable evidence.
#1 We have no idea where we came from. This is a truth. We've created a lot of stories, some passed down, some largely unverifiable without physical evidence. The only physical evidence we have is that we're here, we've constructed a couple of theories as to why, but we don't really know.
#2 We are not immortal. Never have been, never will be. Even without the explanations given by science. Our history and experience have shown that no one lives forever. That hasn't changed and is highly unlikely, mostly because...
#3 Everything is cyclical and eventually breaks down - turning into something else. Some cycles we know. They're short, and we know they are cycles because they repeat, with the most stable ones repeating multiple times. At some point, the cycle will break down for a variety of reasons depending on its structure, format, and environment.
#4 Not every cycle is beneficial. Some are encoded to end on purpose - initiating an event necessary and needed to complete a part of a larger cycle. Some are unintentionally harmful: overgrowth, defects, or deficiencies that aren't well explained or understood why they happen, but they do, and the effects can be mild or devastating. And then there are the constructed harms, either by chance or by choice, that are built to be diabolically oppressive, so that the harm is catastrophic.
We have everything in the world we could need, thus far, to create conditions that make it easier to navigate life as it happens. But as a society, we have been so swept up in individualism, even those who fight hard against that tide, that people rarely know where to begin to most past and remove some of the facets through which we currently view humanity, so that we can retool and adjust the lens. Some say we don't shame people enough these days. And I'd agree that's part of it, but beyond shaming, we need to be ultra-clear about the expectations. Shaming is part communication and part holding a high expectation that, if the behavior continues, that person, group of people, or large administration (let's say) will need to be marginalized from society. Shunned.
This isn't cruel; it's necessary so that those who have imagined, designed, and built this mess are no longer allowed to operate our society with such disastrous outcomes. It's a big ask.
Other actions are smaller, simpler, and more realistic, and while they may not seem to have an immediate effect, the more that we do them, the more the energy will resonate and the shifts will occur. They happen in neighborhoods and communities, and the ripple out can feel imperceptible at first, but if we do these things consistently and with positive intent, we can start to counteract some of the harm that's been caused for generations.