Guaranteeing economic security is crucial, so is sending the message that every one of us matters.
"In attempting to understand how humans can realize their highest potential, I have found it pertinent to take a needs-based perspective. We all have fundamental basic needs, that when severely thwarted, cause us to all act in the same predictable fashion. One of my biggest influences is the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow, who often pondered why people could be so cruel. In one unpublished note, he concluded that it’s due to the 'insecurity cycle':
… from this flows everything…. The person who behaves badly behaves so because of hurt, actual and expected, and lashes out in self-defense, as a cornered animal might. The fact is that people are good, if only their fundamental wishes are satisfied, their wishes for affection and security. Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and behavior."
Article: How to Restore America’s Humanity