Ubuntu

I suspect that many of you are familiar with the quotation from the 17th century French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician René Descartes, Cogito ergo sum, translated as I think, therefore I am.  It's one of the fundamental tenets - a core principle, if you will - in the Western philosophy tradition.  In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes tells us that everything we assume to be true can be doubted.  If that is indeed true, then all of our thoughts and beliefs can be doubted.  He goes on to explain, "I have convinced myself that there is absolutely nothing in the world, no sky, no earth, no minds, no bodies. Does it now follow that I too do not exist? No: if I convinced myself of something then I certainly existed...So after considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind."

The philosophy of Ubuntu was developed by the Bantu and Xhosa people of Southern Africa and popularized by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.  While Descartes (and most of the Western philosophical tradition) suggests that the individual is the source of all knowledge, Ubuntu would suggest that the source of knowledge is the community.  Rather than cogito ergo sum, Ubuntu would state, umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, meaning a person is a person through other persons.  The word ubuntu itself is translated as I am because we are.  

The blogger Maup van de Kerkhof describes the central idea of the Ubuntu philosophy as "a thorough recognition of the interconnectedness of human beings while acknowledging the inherent worth of every individual."  In the Ubuntu tradition, "All persons have something to offer, and not one expertise in life should prevail over the other."

It's a beautiful concept, and one that I believe that we need to pay more attention to in today's society.  In my last post ("The Loneliness Epidemic"), I talked about U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advisory released last year entitled "The Healing Effects of Social Connection" and the need to foster social connections.  As Dr. Murthy concludes his second term as U.S. Surgeon General, he released "My Parting Prescription for America" which weaves together his personal and professional observations on what is perhaps most ailing society today - the erosion of our sense of community.  It's a quick read, and I think I agree with just about every point that Dr. Murthy made.

Dr. Murthy argues (convincingly so in my opinion) that there are three core pillars to building a sense of community - relationships, service, and purpose.  He goes on to describe how these "three drivers of fulfillment" have been shown to significantly influence health outcomes, including premature mortality, heart disease, depression, and anxiety.  He mentions the philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes our interdependence as well as the responsibility that we all have to one another as human beings.

Consistent with some of my recent posts, Dr. Murthy provides a list of the key drivers for the erosion of our sense of community in today's society.  First, we have become a much more mobile society.  Both my wife and I lived in the same house during our entire childhood.  Our own children have been less fortunate, in that we have moved around from city to city as I have pursued different professional opportunities.  Our own family's experience is the norm today.  

Second, as highlighted in my recent post "Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid...", technology (and social media, in particular) have actually made us less connected.  Dr. Murthy writes, "Social media has turbocharged a culture of constant comparison that too often undermines our self-worth and makes us feel dissatisfied with our lives...friends have been replaced with followers and confidantes with contacts, with profound consequences for the depth and quality of our relationships."  I would also argue that social media has further polarized our society in such a way that we've lost the ability to have civil discourse with those individuals who don't share our opinions and beliefs.  Dr. Murthy writes, "Outrage now drives online conversations and much of the news we encounter, fueled by an outrage industrial complex that profits from maximizing engagement despite the human cost.  Ultimately, it's hard to connect with each other when we can't talk to each other."

Third, as highlighted by the social scientist Robert Putnam in his book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, the decline in the number of civic organizations such as recreational leagues, youth groups, faith institutions, neighborhood associations, and service organizations has helped accelerate the erosion of our sense of community.  Dr. Murthy writes that "underneath these trends, the pendulum of self-reliance has swung so far to one end that needing others is seen as a sign of weakness, leading to a vicious cycle of stress, isolation, and more stress."

Dr. Murthy calls the loss of community "one of the defining challenges of our time" and suggests that we need a "fundamental shift in how we build and prioritize community."  He goes on to suggest that we should avoid what he calls the "triad of success" (wealth, fame, power) and instead focus on the "triad of fulfillment" (relationships, service, and purpose).  He goes on to say that when these three elements are combined with the core virtue of love, they create an ecosystem for meaning and belonging.  

Fostering relationships requires us to ask the question, "With whom can I connect more deeply?"  The kinds of relationships that Dr. Murthy is talking about here is not just simply those connections with our family, close friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  We need to be courageous enough to build relationships with people who may differ in background and beliefs, but yet who still form an important part of our community.  

Becoming more involved in service requires us to ask the question, "What can I do to help others?"  While service is directed towards the benefit of others, studies have shown that there are profound benefits to those who serve!  There are known benefits to our physical, mental, and spiritual health, but Dr. Murthy also suggests that "service reminds us we have value we bring to the world."  He suggests that we should at least commit to one act of kindness every day.  

Defining our purpose requires us to ask the question, "What gives my life meaning?"  Dr. Murthy defines purpose as the feeling of having an overarching life aim that guides and prioritizes our decisions and actions.  He writes, "It's not 'what' we do.  It's 'why' we do it."  Our purpose lays the foundation for our goals and achievements.  

Lastly, Dr. Murthy suggests that building a sense of community requires love, which he calls that "commanding force with the power to build, strengthen, and heal."  Love can't just be reserved for our family and close friends or even those who share our beliefs and life experiences.  We also have to extend our love to those people with whom we disagree.  Mother Teresa observed that "the most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved."  Love is what ties us all together.  It is only through love that we can re-build our sense of community.

Dr. Murthy's parting words are poignant.  He says, "Let us never forget that good people with hearts full of love can change the world."  Let us all remember the spirit of Ubuntu - I am because we are.