Self-Evident — The self-evident nature of these values is only one of several characteristics that have obscured their presence while in plain sight. These three primary values are self-evident similarly as those stated in the famous sentence in the United States Declaration of Independence,
“We hold these truths (values) to be self-evident, that all [people] are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The proof of this becomes evident when people around the world are asked whether they would like to enjoy an improved quality of life, as they define it.
Universal — These values are also universal to all people of all races, cultures, ethnicity, nations, and genders. Ask anyone, whether they live in Bangladesh or Baltimore, Houston or Hanoi, or any other city if they would like to develop the innate potential they brought into life … to improve their quality of life with an equal ability as anyone else would or could. The answers are universally the same whether a poor person is asked or a multi-billionaire. Everyone I have talked to as a holistic life coach has chosen to improve the quality of their life, and grow into their potential.
Irreducible — The three primary values are the superordinate values of our species and are not subordinate to any other values. The pursuit of an improving quality of life, growth, and equality provide the foundation for human motivation, 8 as interpreted by the individual, and express themselves in a personal hierarchy of needs.
Organic / Innate / Timeless — Even though I cannot prove it, evidence seems to suggest that these seven values are organic to our species and have been embedded in our DNA from our earliest beginnings. They have motivated us, everyone, to yearn for the improvement of our quality of life materially and socially. We can safely predict that these same values will continue to motivate our species to enjoy an ever-improving quality of life, and to grow into our innate potential in future centuries and millennia.
8 Raphael, Daniel 2015, Social Sustainability Handbook for Community-Builders, p 28-30.