Over breakfast today, my thoughts wandered, and for no clear reason, I found myself reflecting on the issue of conflicting values. Perhaps it was triggered by the long-standing tension between Solana and hype versus Ethereum, and the diverging paths of centralization and decentralization they represent. A thought suddenly emerged: Values are the most dense and visible manifestation of human needs—they are not abstract “universal truths,” but rather the highest expressions of specific groups at different stages and under varying life circumstances. In other words, Values are, at their core, the most concentrated expression of human needs. This means they must inherently be pluralistic. For example, the concept of “freedom” was first articulated by Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose book The Social Contract opens with: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This was, in essence, an expression of the will of his social class—the emerging bourgeoisie and Enlightenment intellectuals—whose core need was to break free from the old regime and assert individual autonomy and popular sovereignty. But is this truly—or even primarily—the urgent need of “common laborers” (the lower classes)? When basic survival and security are still unmet, aren’t safety, stability, and fundamental subsistence higher-priority values? To be honest, I don’t know the answer to these questions—everyone likely has their own. In today’s hyper-polarized era, even the slightest difference sparks extreme conflict. Our current information environment—driven by algorithmic feeds and echo chambers—rapidly amplifies even minor distinctions into extremes. Each side treats its own “highest expression of need” as absolute truth, while viewing the other as a threat. This goes beyond mere “opposing positions”; it feels more like a collective projection of unmet needs. A truly inclusive era will remain exceedingly rare—at least until AI significantly elevates human needs across society. But if AI fails to broadly and smoothly benefit the majority, it may instead usher in another turbulent chapter in human history.