Our daily lives have a strange manner of smothering us with stress and worries in various forms and shapes. Looking back, we may discover that many of the things that we were worried about were truly not worth the distress that they caused us. This does not mean that those situations and experiences were actually worthless. Instead, this means that we have learned and improved ourselves so that in the future, we can weather similar situations in a better manner. Thus, they no longer seem frightening or stressful.
Charles Darwin famously posited that only the fittest members of a species are capable of survival.
The meaning of the word ‘fittest’ may take several different forms depending on the species that the word is being used to describe. For example, while having a large size may immediately be considered to be an advantage, it may actually become a disadvantage when an animal needs to move quickly to survive. Sometimes, when sheer strength becomes the deciding factor on whether a creature lives or not, then being strong may end up being advantageous.
On the other hand, there are completely random factors such as colouration that also determine whether an animal is fit for survival. For instance, a green tree frog is more likely to escape predators than a red one due to its ability to camouflage more effectively in a natural environment.
Taking all of this into consideration, it is easy to see that in its most general context, being fit for survival simply means that you are fortunate enough to possess the qualities that allow you to thrive in a situation.
One other famous interpretation of Darwin’s words is, “It is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
So, in the human world ‘being fit for survival’ takes on a slightly different meaning too. It is not the smartest or strongest person who will always find success. It means that finding success in a competitive field, especially as a young person takes much more than pure talent. It requires the ability to adapt and change – to be able to deal with negative situations and mistakes in a better way than you were able to yesterday. Because human beings have been transforming our world so rapidly, having only one defining quality or skill will eventually bring you to the realisation that you have not been able to progress much in your life at all.
When you invest your time in building your skill set, remember to first spend some time studying your environment and your passion, and choose to learn things that are truly helpful to you. Build your life in such a manner that when you look back, there is not a single day when you have failed to pick up new information or new skills. Or, perhaps try and update some of your older skills with new techniques.
After all, how horrible would it be if you looked back and saw the same obstacles that you still face today?
