Survival of the fittest is not about the meanest

They say nature follows the law of the jungle. They say only the strong survive. They say every man for himself. They say kill or be killed.

Many people misunderstand nature. Many think “survival of the fittest” permits them to be assholes.

They steal, cheat, rape, and manipulate others. After all, they are the strongest. Natural selection permits them to take what they want.

Right?

No.

Natural selection can’t tell you what to do in the future. It can only describe the past.

And while there is death & danger, do you know how nature overcomes?

Cooperation. Altruism. Kindness.

Wolves, chimps, & bats share food with members of their tribe who don’t have anything to eat. Stronger baboons put themselves in danger to defend their tribe as it retreats from predators. Walruses adopt orphaned cubs and care for them as their own.

Dolphins rescue sick or injured animals by swimming underneath them and pushing them to the surface so they can breathe. Buffalos band together to rescue members of the herd that are trapped by a predator. Lemurs protect, feed, and take care of unrelated lemur pups.

In one documentary, I saw a larger monkey mistreat some of the smaller ones. But in a quick turn of events, the smaller ones joined forces against him. Soon, he fell in line at the rear of the pack, humbled and subservient.

Groups beat individuals.

Remember group projects back in school? There were always kids that didn’t contribute.

Imagine a group made up of lazy, selfish, cheaters. And a second full of hard-working nerds.

Which group will get a better grade? Which group would you join?

And “survival of the fittest” is about groups, not individuals.

Its groups that survive (or don’t).

And “groups of altruists always beat groups of selfish individuals.” -E. O. Wilson (Harvard Biologist)

So who are the “fittest?” They are not the biggest or strongest. They are the most cooperative.

Survival of the fittest doesn’t mean every man for himself. Survival of the fittest doesn’t mean kill or be killed. It means: We thrive when we work together.