Why Every Global Crisis Shares the Same Hidden Cause

Many people admire the courage and urgency of Greta Thunberg and others who speak out about climate change.

Her frustration is understandable.

Entire ecosystems are collapsing.
Species are disappearing.
The future of life on Earth is at risk.

And yet, climate change is only one item on a long list of global emergencies.

Wars.
Poverty.
Inequality.
Corruption.
Religious conflict.
Food insecurity.
Lack of education.

It can feel overwhelming.

But what if all of these problems share one underlying cause?

And what if addressing that single cause naturally dissolves all of them?

The Surprising Possibility

Most people assume that global problems are complex and require complex solutions.

But sometimes complexity hides something very simple.

To understand why these problems exist at all, we must first examine how we believe reality exists.

Because nearly all human behavior is shaped by one unnoticed assumption:

I exist as a separate self.
Others exist as separate selves.
The world exists separately from me.

This assumption feels obvious.

But has it ever been carefully examined?

What Would a Separate Self Require?

For something to truly exist as a separate, independent self, it must be:

A singular, unified thing
Self-created
Independent of other things and conditions

Let’s test this honestly.

Can a Person Be Found as a Singular Entity?

A human body contains:

Organs
Cells
Molecules
Atoms

Which one is the person?

The brain?
The heart?
One cell?

No single unit can be found.

The mind is also made of:

Thoughts
Emotions
Sensations
Memories

All changing moment by moment.

Which moment is “the person”?

No singular entity appears.

Can a Person Create Themselves?

No one creates themselves.

Every person depends on:

Parents
Food
Water
Air
Sunlight
Culture
Language

Nothing arises independently.

Can a Person Exist Without Labeling?

Before the word “human” is applied, what exists?

Colors
Shapes
Movement
Sensations

“Human” is a label placed on these appearances.

“Me” is a label placed on these appearances.

The labels do not come from the body.

They arise in the mind.

So the person exists conventionally through labeling — not inherently as a separate self.

The Same Is True for Everything

A tree is not a singular entity.

It is:

Roots
Trunk
Branches
Leaves
Cells
Molecules

Which one is the tree?

“Tree” is a label placed on a collection of parts.

The same applies to animals.

The same applies to rocks.

The same applies to planets.

No separate, self-existing entities can be found anywhere.

Only interdependent processes.

What This Reveals

We do not exist as independent selves.

Others do not exist as independent selves.

The world does not exist as an independent object.

Everything arises together, dependently.

This is what ancient Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna pointed to with terms like:

Emptiness
Dependent arising

Not meaning nothing exists.

But meaning:

Nothing exists independently.

Nothing has its own separate essence.

Why This Creates All Major Problems

If I believe I am a separate self:

I must protect myself.
I must secure resources.
I must defend my identity.
I must compete.

Groups form.

“We” versus “them.”

From this:

Greed arises.
Fear arises.
Racism arises.
Exploitation arises.
War arises.

Not because humans are evil.

But because humans are operating from a false model of reality.

The Hidden Truth

If no separate self can be found:

Who is the enemy?

If no separate essence exists:

Who is fundamentally “other”?

Harming another becomes harming the same reality.

Compassion stops being an ideal.

It becomes natural.

Why This Solves Every Category of Global Problem

Climate destruction happens because we feel separate from nature.

War happens because we feel separate from other humans.

Inequality happens because we feel separate from others’ suffering.

Corruption happens because we prioritize a fictional self.

Poverty persists because we believe resources belong to separate entities.

Every problem expresses the same misunderstanding.

Separation.

What Happens When This Is Seen Clearly

When people recognize directly that:

No separate self can be found
No separate others can be found
No separate world can be found

Behavior changes naturally.

Not through force.

Not through laws.

Not through ideology.

But through clarity.

Greed weakens.
Hatred weakens.
Fear weakens.

Because their foundation collapses.

Why Education Is the Key

Children are taught:

Math.
Science.
History.

But rarely taught:

To investigate what a self actually is.

Once education includes this simple examination:

Future wars become unnecessary.

Future exploitation becomes illogical.

Future large-scale suffering loses its cause.

A Simple Experiment

Right now:

Notice color.
Notice sound.
Notice sensation.
Notice thought.

Look for a separate “me.”

Look for a separate “world.”

Only experience appears.

This is not philosophy.

This is observation.

The Deeper Conclusion

The world’s most serious problems do not require thousands of separate solutions.

They require seeing through one misunderstanding.

The belief in separate existence.

When this belief loosens, a radically different world becomes possible.

Not someday.

Now.