Survival of the fittest was a preordained decree, but that was at a time when human evolution was still in its infancy. Then, the surrounding circumstances demanded a narrow spectrum of survival attributes for sustenance and a healthy future. In the context of life paths and decisions, the instinct to survive was the major driving factor.
As we evolved, the previous focus on survival was shifted to flourishing, and over time boundaries widened, geographies scaled, linguistic barriers diminished, groups developed and soon survival was something that wasn’t the need of the hour. With much of human evolution we flourished and progressed towards civilization to live harmoniously as a society.
But with progress came obstacles, differences within ourselves grew. The equality stemming from the natural order of belonging to the same species was overshadowed by our inability to understand and accept our differences. Conflicts rose out of dissension but were mitigated before the events magnified into an outburst. We soon had started learning from our mistakes.
The terms hunter-gatherer, survival, physical prowess are out of context for the current age, though the inner dispositions are manifested in various similar forms. Survival is not the concern as it was in retrospect because the choices have simply multiplied. It’s not just living, but finding meaning, clarity or a greater purpose in things we do, identifying ourselves, realizing our true potential, seeking success in our own individual paths. But with more options there are manifold distractions. Novelty is something of awe to our developed brains. It is something that keeps us motivated but also often sidetracks us from our path. As much as society is coming together as a whole, the economic forces driving the system and the poorly justified focus on individualism, are both greatly aggravating the present situation by acting as a hindrance to our flourishing and a setback to a better future.
The struggle still continues, discord and expediency is and will always be latent, only thing we can do is let go of the dissension and ego-centrism for our own sake and work together for a better future.
