bhaskar saikia

Strip away the noise—the status, the professions, the accents, the clothes, the backgrounds—and you will find that at the most basic level, every human being is the same. We all emerge into the world with the same fragile breath, the same need for warmth, the same hunger for love and recognition. At the foundation, we are carved from the same raw material—flesh, emotion, hope, fear.

It is only when we rise above this basic layer that the differences begin to appear. And the higher we go, the more conspicuous they become.

At the basic level, we all feel pain.

But as we climb higher—into culture, upbringing, belief systems—we begin to differ in how we express it, suppress it, or transform it.

At the basic level, we all seek happiness.

But our definitions of happiness diverge depending on our experiences, our ambitions, our environments.

At the basic level, everyone wants to be understood.

But the languages we use, the metaphors we choose, and the frames through which we view life slowly set us apart.

This is not a bad thing. Differences don’t diminish our shared humanity; they give it texture. Without them, the world would be painfully monotone. With them, the world becomes a mosaic—complex, colorful, endlessly fascinating.

But it helps to remember that underneath the mosaic is a single canvas.

Because when conflict arises, we usually stand on the higher levels—defending our identities, our opinions, our differences. We forget the foundation we all share. We forget that beneath the layers of education, class, culture, and personality is a simple human being who laughs, cries, fears, and hopes just like us.

Recognizing our sameness doesn’t erase our individuality. Recognizing our differences doesn’t erase our common core.

The real wisdom lies in holding both truths.

So the next time we meet someone who seems worlds apart, it might help to descend a little—to the basic level where we all began. To the level where every heart beats with the same rhythm of wanting to live, wanting to matter, wanting to love and be loved.

Because at the core, we are the same.
And everything else—every difference we carry—is just the beautiful complexity built on top of that simple, shared beginning.