Fundamental Problems about Mass

Inertial mass is traditionally regarded as an intrinsic property of matter, independent of external influences. In contrast, we propose that inertia arises from the cumulative gravitational influence of all mass distributed throughout the universe. Under this framework, gravitational and inertial mass would share a common origin in gravity itself, providing a natural explanation for their observed equivalence, as articulated in Einstein’s equivalence principle. This perspective also challenges the necessity of the Higgs mechanism as the source of inertial mass within the Standard Model.