A universal damping mechanism is provided, including a housing having a mounting surface for fixing the housing to an appropriate furniture or fixture surface. The mounting surface includes a bottom surface of a box-shaped portion of the housing, which further includes a pair of laterally opposed side surfaces extending upwardly from the bottom surface. Each lateral side surface includes a recessed portion defining a first opening of an angled hole communicating with a second opening of the angled hole provided in the bottom surface proximate a central portion thereof. A shock absorber subassembly is slidably positioned within a shock absorber receiving portion of the housing and has a first end extending from a first end of the housing, and an adjustment mechanism is coupled to a second end of the housing and adjustably engaged with a second end of the shock absorber subassembly within the shock absorber receiving portion.