Shifting To "Survival of the Friendliest"

The main attribute that is evolving in us now is our sociability. We are shifting from “survival of the fittest” to “survival of the friendliest.” The transition period may be challenging, but we can get through it faster and more pleasantly if we go through it together.

With each passing day, we have to realize that despite the growing tensions, we hate the wrong enemy. We think the "enemy" is someone we work with or work for, our competitors in business, people we're competing with for a job, that person who supports the other side in the war, that woman who belongs to another race, or that person who is more privileged in some way, who is richer, smarter, prettier, luckier, or happier.

This post was inspired by Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell's latest stunning share where he said - "Survival of the fittest is indeed nature’s way to drive improvement and adaptation. But we are nature, and aren’t we also inspired by each other? By stories of heroism and overcoming challenges, even by the others in our categories, businesses, fields? Is the human race a race or is it a partnership? Extending, expanding each other and creating individual inspiration with collective achievement?"

We think that when Darwin discovered the principle of “Survival of the Fittest,” he only meant that the most belligerent survive.

Transitioning To "Survival of the Friendliest"

The above is a complete misinterpretation of Darwin's words that our egos have imposed on us. A book by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods called Survival of the Friendliest?writes that “to Darwin and modern biologists, “survival of the fittest” refers to something very specific — the ability to survive and leave behind viable offspring. It is not meant to go beyond that.” They also wrote that “Darwin was constantly impressed with the kindness and cooperation he observed in nature,” and there's a quote in his book?Descent of Man: “Those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best and rear the greatest number of offspring.”

“Those communities, which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best and rear the greatest number of offspring.” Darwin

We are headed in the opposite direction. We are breaking our social fabric, tearing apart our communities, and dismantling the country. In such circumstances, we ourselves will not survive. And the only culprit is the human ego. We are now at a point where either we unite against it and help each other overcome it by encouraging each other to connect, and by trying to connect with people who are different than us. Or the ego will win and we'll have lost this great opportunity to advance together, to understand our true purpose. Or should I say the ego's true purpose. We need to understand this so we can stop wasting our energy on the wrong fights.

The coronavirus came specifically in order to make us think about the purpose of our lives. It didn’t come to make us miserable. On the contrary, it came to teach us what real happiness is.

Recalibrating Our Purpose

The coronavirus came specifically in order to make us think about the purpose of our lives. It didn’t come to make us miserable. On the contrary, it came to teach us what real happiness is. When we learn how to switch to this new friendly mindset, there will be no fear among us, no ruling or bullying, no survival of the fittest attitude, but rather mutual support, care and consideration of each other, just as all the cells and organs have their unique traits but work for the sake of the entire body. making us notice, and eventually care for one another. And by correcting our relationships, we will begin to feel the world we live in, and not just ourselves. Just as the cells in our body “feel” and are “conscious” of the entire body, we will feel and be conscious of the entire world.

There will be no fear among us, no ruling or bullying, no survival of the fittest attitude, but rather mutual support, care and consideration of each other, just as all the cells and organs have their unique traits but work for the sake of the entire body.

We are facing a long and cold winter. The Russia-Ukraine war is still raging, and there is a severe shortage of gas. Its skyrocketing price is fueling the rising inflation, and staple foods are becoming unaffordable or altogether absent.

Additionally, new viruses or new strains of existing viruses are likely to appear, not helping the already heightened tensions. These explosive conditions are bound to ignite conflicts, which could lead to violent clashes like the one right now in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We must intentionally cultivate positive connections, since the negative connections are already in place, and the only way to balance them is to establish what is currently missing: positive connections.

To fix things, we need to fully grasp that the only way to defuse the situation and reduce the tensions is to systematically create a positive atmosphere among everyone. We must intentionally cultivate positive connections, since the negative connections are already in place, and the only way to balance them is to establish what is currently missing: positive connections. And if it feels unnatural (and unpleasant) to do this, it proves that the negative connections are already in place and dominating our feelings everywhere we turn.

We need to remember that we can only make peace with an enemy. It has to feel awkward, since befriending an enemy is the least natural thing to do. Our natural default is to fight against our enemy. But we have already seen where the natural way leads us. I think it is time for us to venture down the less trodden path, but surely more constructive and safer way for all of us. And that will require upgrading human relations at every level of society.

This approach will awaken a positive force between us, which will balance the currently prevailing negative force.

We should not expect to agree with one another all of a sudden. The disagreements that have set us against each other will probably remain. So instead of trying to settle our differences, which is a futile exercise, we should agree to disagree. Knowing full well that from this starting point, we are building a new type of relationship.

This approach will awaken a positive force between us, which will balance the currently prevailing negative force. This will allow us to see new ways of connecting, to find new closeness with people who until now were enemies.

We have tried war, we have tried back-stabbing and trampling each other to get ahead, we have tried just about every negative option. It's time we tried to connect without imposing our views on others, but simply to bond for the sake of bonding. This is the key to our survival in the new era. We have to get really good at bonding. We have to exercise that connection muscle and "compete" at "survival of the friendliest" rather than what we've been doing up until now.