Mental health is something we talk about more on days like these. However, addressing the root cause of the problems that affect it makes more sense. The reality is mental wellness is essential for overall well-being. Without it, the risks of exploitation, abuse, oppression, addictions, drinking problems, unhealthy relationships, violence, crimes, youth suicide, chronic and mental illnesses, and imbalances increase. 

1. Standardization and categorization of Thinking and Lifestyles

We have standardized and categorized materialistic thinking and ways of life that are supposed to make us rational and help us maintain stability. But the madness of the crowd, denialism, ignorance, greed addiction, people who believe inner satisfaction or well-being is excitement, expertise, or technology to maximize profit or inflate the ego of few at the expense of the general public and world, and overconsumption lifestyles increase imbalances or instabilities. Simply put, the unsuitable control narratives and the unaddressed root cause of the issues and essential needs are the sources of our predicaments in the global village. 

As I reflected on what happened this year and other threats in the world, I asked myself many questions. First, how many are willing to defend and protect systems of meaning that help to deny or ignore reality? Second, how many expect superheroes and magic wands to make the world a better place in a way that will help maximize pleasure and comfort? Third, how many expect technology to restore health and stability in the world so they can maintain their overconsumption lifestyles? Last, how many would like to control others and the world for their self-gain or to inflate their ego?

 “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”  ~ Ernest Hemingway

It is risky to grant authority to individuals or machines with collective biases to standardize thinking and feelings. Facing reality for what it is, is vital for sanity. We have many challenges in a globalized competitive world. 

The individuals who helped emperors or groups to control many and the world believed they were rational and righteous despite their malice. The Nazis, supremacists, oppressors, and other extremists of outward conformity that terrorized others had or have a sense of self-righteousness. If you look at tulip mania, the great depression, the tech bubble, and everything that inflates or deflates the economy and ego, you will see the problem of the madness of the crowd.

The bitter truth is greed, aggression, dominance, subordination, consumerism, maximization of destructive power, overconsumption, and other exploitations are problematic. Satisfying feelings gives instant excitement. In excess, it leads to imbalances in the body and the external world.  It does not help to improve well-being. Let us recognize inner feelings or desires that maximize self-gain or give instant excitement are not the same as essential needs for the inner self.

The bottom line is addressing inner issues and needs at the individual level is vital for sanity or mental wellness. The variations of statistically abnormal individuals with views that diverge from the general public exist. On one end you have those who address inner issues and needs regularly. On the other extreme are those who have more mental issues that affect the body's health. Anyone whose behavior and attitude do not diverge much from normalized insanity and other norms is statistically normal. 

2. Disconnections, Unhealthy Relationships, and Systems of Meanings

Although we are natural beings, defying nature is socially acceptable. The reality is the authentic character of adults in the global village does not develop with age. Variations exist from the disconnections to meaningful connections with the inner self and nature in the global village. Equally important, standardization and competition are useless in authentic character development because our life journeys are unique.

In addition, there are different types and variations of the quality of relationships or connections among individuals. For simplicity, there are variations from unhealthy to healthy caregivers and other relationships. There are also authentic intellectual, spiritual, and emotional connections or relationships. They are different from the ones that are used to forge consumer demands.

The contributing factors and effects of disconnection from the inner self and other forms of alienation vary. Regardless, at the individual level, the alienation of the inner self is the worst. It is like canceling the authentic self or denying reality and neglecting to address inner issues and needs to have a perfect inauthentic character. The inner disconnection will cause other problems. The rituals, beliefs, drugs, surgery, herbs, massage, or technology do not address inner needs or issues. 

In other words, the inward and outward arrows point in opposite directions. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid the perils of reducing spirituality to feelings, beliefs, externalization, and objectification of spiritual states, rituals, and other hacks to feel and look good without addressing inner issues. Feelings and physical appearances do not resolve inner conflicts.

Although states in body, mind, spirit, and external states influence each other, spiritual states differ from emotional ones. Attachment to superficiality and other things can help humans to ignore or deny reality. The body can not differentiate between inner satisfaction and security from feelings or desires that depend on external things that are outside one control. However, maximizing the latter affects well-being. 

Disconnection from the inner self affects quality relationships and well-being. Toxic gossiping, bullying, violence, supremacism, addictions, oppression, exploitation, and other forms of hostility are among the factors that affect physical, mental, and external world health. Some can cause estrangement, divorce, separation, or breakup from a group or with a person. Even with forgiveness, building healthy relationships once trust is gone, can take years or may never happen. 

Things are not black and white when it comes to mental health. Unhealthy coherence or cohesion of individuals is the source of groupthink, self-abandonment, and denial or ignorance of reality. There is also a difference between groups with harmful and good intentions and collective destructive and constructive power. Additionally, there are unintended consequences due to ignorance or denial of reality. 

I chewed the bitter truth. It is unlimited human inner growth after all. As a person moves forward to the next level of examinations of life, the clarity improves. While some examine their life and self-correct, others do not. 

Simply put, the problem with standardized thinking and ways of life is prejudice, normalized fragility, and limited human inner growth potential. For example, imagine you are in a gathering with 100 people. One person says cruelty and supremacy make an individual stronger and superior. The crowd votes based on what they believe. Ninety-eight other people agree.  

Some associates agree with respect. Respect like other words can mean different things for different people. Admiration, consideration, reference, and obedience are synonyms of respect. But disagreeing in this context has nothing to do with disrespect, unresolved inner conflicts, or lack of self-acceptance. 

Two people with diverging perspectives can have opposite feelings. Honesty to oneself and others is a form of respect. Yet the person who prefers sweet lies may disagree with that. Likewise, if meaning systems impair judgment, the feeling of respect and disrespect will be contrary to reality. Neither admiration of fragile ego with inner dissatisfaction, denialism, ignorance, nor cruelty makes sense even when a person bows. 

In contrast, the humane act of respect makes a positive difference. It helps to eliminate or reduce the risk of unwellness. Despite the ambiguity, some nations and individuals do something to respect human rights. Others do nothing or the opposite. 

3. Institutionalization and Commodification of Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted based on shared beliefs with good intentions to make the world a better place for humans regardless of their social identities in 1948. However, the underlying global systemic issues persist. Equality, health, education, justice, and freedom of thinking and conscience are universal human rights. Treating the symptoms provides relief until the global systemic issues are addressed. It also maximizes the profit or inflates the ego of the few. 

Institutionalization and commodification of wellness, education, justice, and other exploitations is one of the giga-low of humanity. Normalized insanity and misunderstanding of the nature of humans are the bad news here. The second problem in our complex globalized competitive world is that groupthink is more common than inner freedom, strength, and nobility. Nobody wants to be treated or feel inferior, less worthy, or insignificant. Yet multiple social stratifications and identities are socially acceptable across the globe. 

A well-defined path to maximize the material wealth of the few and satisfy feelings is preferred even though it increases imbalances, and the future outcome is unknown. Still, the individuals at the bottom of the imaginary pyramids, and other marginalized groups have more stressors. Indeed, when the majority fail to realize their human potential and the cumulative effect of systemic problems persists, ineffective complex systems that increase instabilities eventually collapse. 

Mesopotamian and other small and big outward-looking materialistic civilizations collapsed. As I looked at outrageous things human beings have done from the dawn of outward-looking materialistic civilization, I asked myself more questions. Are human freedom and rights aligned with the responsibilities of individuals, families, communities, nations, or organizations to address the root cause of the problems and essential needs to maintain or restore health and stability in the external world?  

Moreover, were they aware that maximizing constructive power requires inner well-being? Are the policies and laws in harmony with nature and designed to preserve health and stability? What percentage of adults have intrinsic motivation to figure out how to address the root causes of the problems and essential needs at the individual, family for those with young children, and community, national, or organizational level?

Imbalances increase as destructive power increases. Since we belong to multiple stratifications and have biases and multiple identities, I will keep a long story of 30 articles on human rights short. We have unique authentic characters. Undeniably, the inner well-being that depends on denialism, deception, ignorance, conformity instead of authentic character developments, control of the masses, and consumerism is unreliable. 

4. Individuals and Collective Responsibilities

Outward-looking worthiness, strength, growth, control, honor, and superiority do not address inner issues. There is no doubt we have many cells in our material bodies. But our unique inner selves are immaterial. They also change as the external world changes and vice versa. Hence, at the individual level, an adult needs intrinsic motivation to minimize risk and preserve or restore inner well-being.

With meaningful connections, a human is one with body, mind, spirit, and nature. Stability is possible with monitoring and adjustment. Nurturing the body and inner goodness is essential for wellness. With inner well-being, one can connect and support others well, under the right conditions. 

Again, a person is an individual who has a unique character in the web of life.  It may sound odd because in Swahili there is a proverb that says Mtu ni Watu. It means a person is people. Bantu and watu in English means people. Mtu and umuntu means a person. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu is the Zulu proverb. The emphasis is on people over individuals. But some use them to rationalize self-abandonment.

Greed or oppression is not synonymous with individuals' responsibility to take good care of their body and inner self. Be aware, individuals with cumulative unaddressed inner issues can harm themselves and others in a community intentionally or unintentionally. There are also cases where a group of people with shared materialistic values and norms have united with the intent to hurt a person or other groups. Hence, consideration for the authentic self, others, and world health comes with the responsibilities of individuals, human organizations, nations, and communities to do their part to become part of solutions. 

"The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil." ~Thomas Edison

In short, while human life has intrinsic worth, becoming worthier or noble inwardly comes with the responsibility for adults to face reality, learn from their mistakes, and grow. Indeed, real trust and inner wealth necessitate authenticity, integrity, honesty, and intrinsic motivation to address inner issues and needs. As the percentage of adults with inner wealth increases and we focus on restoring and preserving wellness, the social and environmental issues will decline. Therefore, in addition to self-care, we ought to figure out how to address the root cause of systemic problems that affect health and stability.