Are there certain things that are necessary to make sure we can get along with one another while traveling through our lives?

Cring takes on these issues and suggests four that might smooth out the rough places.

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A quartet of virtues for our time

I know we all want to have our own personality, our own thing, our own spirituality, our own thoughts, our own favorite toppings on pizza, our own outlook and of course, our own toothbrush.

The pursuit of individuality creates eight billion problems. Although I have no intention of placing the human race into a straight jacket, I do think it’s important for us to begin to understand that a common uniform would be helpful.

You can feel free to vary that garment with lace, tinsel, glitter or wider lapels, but the basic uniform of humanity needs to be honored in order to generate enough uniformity that we can trust one another instead of trying to clump into “family groups” and then make movies about how families never get along.

You can come up with your own rendition—it’s as good as mine. I would just like to see the discussion begun on what is necessary to be a valuable, contributing human being.

Utilizing my normal corny persona, I have dubbed these things which I deem requirements as “The Core of Four.”

I present them to you because no matter if you’re religious, atheist, Republican, Democrat, man, woman, gay or straight, there are certain qualities which make you tolerable to the other inhabitants of the planet around you.

I will tell you bluntly, I have lived without these attributes and pissed people off continually, which only caused me to become defensive and question their sincerity or their love. I’m always suspicious of people who are willing to love shit. There is such a thing as becoming TOO tolerant. If we’re completely tolerant, then everything becomes okay, even though deep in our hearts we feel that everything is not okay.

We end up torn apart by our own assertion that whatever people do is fine—when actually we’re enraged over many of the things people do.

So, are you ready for my Core of Four? They are not in any particular order although I will begin with Number One.

Number One is essential for getting along with anyone who has survived the jungle and emerged with a brain.

1. I AM OFTEN WRONG

Here’s the bad part. I don’t plan it. I believe I’m right, and because I do, I end up with screwed up conclusions. If I apologize or repent at this point, things will be all right. But if I pridefully dig in my heels, I begin to promote things that are wrong. You can see how dangerous that might be.

I might start thinking that because I’m a Republican I need to support everything put out by the Republican Party. Or if I’m a Democrat I should begin to study the virtues of socialism.

You can’t help the Earth if you do not admit you’re often wrong. While you mull over that—considering areas where you are already in error—let me give you Number Two.

2. Honor Loyalty

Loyalty is the most powerful gift we can give to another human being.

Sex is good—sometimes great. Love is tender. Respect is, well, respectful. But loyalty is when we give people the chance to change instead of assuming they aren’t going to.

I know there are limits to loyalty. I know there’s a point where those around us tell us to “take a hike” and leave them alone. But there’s nothing wrong with leaving a candle lit in the window of your heart.

Loyalty is powerful.

In this day and age when a 24-hour news cycle can change our opinions on a human being, loyalty may be one of the lifeboats that rescues us from an ocean of despair.

Should I give you a third?

3. CREATE

That’s right. Create something. It is well within humanity to create—or to bitch. And the only way to create is to run like hell from bitching. When we run away from something unacceptable, we should create something acceptable, or at least something that will work.

It is in our creativity that we find God—not our prayers.

It is in our creativity that we escape complaining—not when we’re given everything we want.

When you feel the inclination to bitch, go out and create something, and be thankful that while you’re creating, your impulse to bitch seems to disappear.

So, what have we got so far?

Number One, I am often wrong

Number Two, I honor loyalty.

Number Three, Create, and in so doing, stomp on the face of bitching.

I would like to give you Number Four. Otherwise it won’t be a quartet.

4. Mind my own business.

That even goes for driving in traffic and being cut off by another driver. Since I have absolutely no chance of changing that person’s outlook on life, unless I plan to throw a hand grenade in his window as I drive by, therefore eliminating him from the human equation, I should probably instead turn the radio up really loud, find Queen singing “We Are The Champions” and bellow along at the heavens.

I probably will not get people to give up their guns.

Gay people will still insist on being gay.

And taking standards and beliefs that have supposedly existed for five thousand years and realizing that on a whim they are often revised in fifteen minutes, I will remain quiet, simple, honoring my own life, admitting when I’m wrong, being loyal and creating.

And in so doing… Say it with me. “And in so doing…”

I will draw people to me. Money will lust to be in my wallet. Friends will call more often. And the Earth, along with Mother Nature and Father God, will smile on my efforts to be something other than an asshole.

The good news is, there’s a real cute uniform that we all can wear.

And the better news is, when we follow the core of four, we will begin to notice an open door.