One of our core human needs is to belong. To feel connected to the people around us and to have a support system that keeps us safe.

This sense of belonging has always been fulfilled by a tribe, a set of people who share the same values as we do. But just like the way these values connect us, humans, with each other, they can also become the very reason for our separation from others.

Religion, political views, ethnicity, gender, and even certain aspects of our lifestyle like being a vegetarian.

Our similarities, however, will always vastly outnumber our differences — and those differences are the very things that make us beautifully diverse as a human race. And as the world is becoming more and more connected, these invisible walls naturally start to disappear as we realize that we are all one.

One of the most renowned modern philosophers, Ken Wilber explains this collective evolution with the four stages of human consciousness. Most people in today’s world fall into either the ethnocentric or the worldcentric worldview.

Ethnocentric people associate themselves with the religion or culture they were born into, and often reject worldviews that differ from theirs.

As they evolve and develop a broader sense of compassion for humanity, they move from the ethnocentic level to a worldcentic stage as they recognize that we’re all united as a human race.

They feel connected to people with the same spiritual beliefs and birthplace just as much as they do to the ones on the other side of the planet.

But there’s a level even beyond that what Ken Wilber calls the cosmocentric level. At this stage, we feel connected to all forms of life on this planet or any other beyond the imaginary borders of our star system.

When Vishen Lakhiani, founder of Mindvalley talked about this on the opening day of Mindvalley University, Ashley Baxter, one of our students got inspired to understand these concepts deeper.

As a Christian, she always wondered why some of the people in her community would be open to other views while others would reject them. This is what she shared with the Mindvalley community:

So often we place religious beliefs at the top of the list for what determines one’s morals. But in reality, your worldview provides the filter that your religion will be lived through. It’s the reason that some ministers can steal money from their church (an egocentric worldview). It’s the reason that some evangelists can give away all their earthly possessions to travel the world helping others (a worldcentric worldview). It’s the reason some Christians say nothing while families are being caged and torn apart at the borders (an ethno or mythocentric worldview).

She found the four stages of consciousness a liberating idea and it inspired her to strike an open discussion. So much so that she created this brilliant infographic and shared it in our community:

While these four stages all exist in the world today to some extent, we believe that humanity is moving towards a more compassionate world as more and more people start to see all living beings as one connected universe.

So how can you support this evolution, you might wonder?

By simply standing up for all people who need help and being unapologetically your compassionate self — just as you are.

We are a global tribe who’s obsessed with growth and passionate about pushing humanity forward. Join the discussion in our Facebook community!

How do you think we can make the world a more compassionate place? Share your thoughts with us in a comment below!