Universal Human Psychology, "Bani Adam," and Our Omnicultural Future

“We’re all members of a whole
sprung alike from a single soul;
when one alone is struck with pain,
the rest will feel the sharpest strain;
if others’ woe leaves you unmoved,
your humanity remains unproved.” 
(Translation Fathali Moghaddam/Duncan Wu)

The above Farsi poem was written by the great Persian poet Saadi Shirazi (1210-1291). Bani Adam literally means the children of Adam. The poem describes the interconnected nature of humankind; we are all parts of the same whole, limbs belonging to one body. When one part of the body is in pain, then all the other limbs also suffer. This can be interpreted as an early depiction of chaos theory, according to which tiny actions in distant places can set off a chain reaction and have enormous consequences on the other side of the world.  Saadi says that you and I belong to one humanity, and he warns that if we are untouched by the suffering of others, then perhaps we do not even deserve to be called human beings. 

In the twenty-first century, we humans have drifted very far away from the ideal portrayed in this Saadi poem. Dozens of terrifying, murderous wars are ongoing—including in Saadi’s land of origin, Iran. Far from being sensitive to the suffering of others, the opposing sides of this and other contemporary conflicts are intent on inflicting as much pain and damage as possible. Dr. Fathali M. Moghaddam argues that in order to find solutions to wars, human-induced global warming, hatred toward immigrants and 'outsiders,' enormous political polarization, and growing economic inequalities, we must shift from a strategy of giving priority to and celebrating group differences, to prioritizing human universals—to what we all have in common, simply because we are human beings. The policy of omniculturalism is described as a constructive way forward for humanity, and the empirical psychological evidence in support of this policy is critically assessed. 

References
     Moghaddam, F. M. (2026). Theories of intergroup relations: Psychological perspectives in global context. Cambridge University Press.
     Moghaddam, F. M., Hendricks, M. J., & Salas-Schweikart, R. (2026). The new immigration challenge: A psychological exploration toward solutions. Cambridge University press.
     Moghaddam, F. M. (2024). The psychology of multiculturalism, assimilation, and omniculturalism. Springer.

Fathali M. Moghaddam is Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University and Editor of the Cambridge University Press Progressive Psychology book series. He has published extensively on the psychology of dictatorship and democracy, intergroup relations, and immigration and diversity management. Among his recent books is Shakespeare and the Experimental Psychologist (2021).

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