About this quote

We love to group ourselves into neat little boxes based on nationality, race, or social status. It feels safe to stick with people who look and act exactly like us. But look closer and you see those divisions are mostly in your head. Strip away the labels and we all breathe the same air and face the same basic struggles. Can you look at a stranger with a completely different background and recognize your shared humanity?

When to use it

• A project manager trying to resolve a heated conflict between developers from different global offices: 'Instead of picking sides based on who works at headquarters, let us remember we are all one team trying to build something useful together.'
• A father explaining to his teenage son why they should help a struggling neighbor who holds very different political beliefs: 'We might disagree on almost everything, but he is a human being and he needs a hand right now.'
• A student studying abroad who feels lonely and alienated in a massive foreign city: 'I looked at the parents crowding the local market and realized their daily worries about family and money are exactly like mine.'