Last week I was in Bern Switzerland before the conference in Zurich. We had the good fortune to notice that there was a coffee festival in town—and of course I went. Last year I had gone to a coffee festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the US and this one in Bern was virtually the same in format and tone. Both were packed with people of all ages, sizes, genders, cultures, and more. Had I been plopped down in either festival, the only clues as to where I was would have been the languages spoken and geographic vendor addresses.
It reinforced to me the joy and unity of people coming together to share a common coffee experience and yet was honoring of all individuals involved in a cup of coffee from farmer to wholesaler to roaster to retailer to barista, as well as all of the equipment makers to make each and every coffee drink. The diversity of each aspect is almost palpable at these events. Beans come from different farms in different countries, are processed in different ways, and are roasted and brewed in different ways. There is joy in the diversity in each and every cup brewed.
In contrast, we all, all of us at these events represent the many commonalities that all humans on this planet have. All of us in Cincinnati and Bern wanted the same thing—to have a diverse coffee consumption experience. It was just a small example of how every human on this planet wants the same things, as Steven Reiss illustrated in his research on intrinsic motivations that resulted in a validated set of 16 basic human desires.
So, let’s just figure out how to honor and respect everyone, their unique personalities and experiences, their culture, their language, and on and on. Let’s figure out how to build each other up instead of subjugating anyone. Let’s figure out how to enhance our standard of living—for each and every person on our little blue globe. Each and every person.
Reiss, S. (2004). Multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation: The theory of 16 basic desires. Review of General Psychology, 8(3), 179–193.
