The two biggest sources of unhappiness in our modern lives are our seeming insatiability and our tendency to worry about things beyond our control. It might be exactly these two traits however, that might be a direct cause of us being around today. Our ancestors who worried about that strange growling sound in the trees are more likely to have survived and bred than their happy-go-lucky neighbours who ventured out of the trees with total disregard for that growling noise. Similarly, our ancestors who worried about running out of food and therefore worked harder to collect more than they could consume are more likely to have survived harsh winters than their neighbours who lived each day as it arrived.
In our modern world, especially if we live in one of the more developed and civilized nations, our situation is somewhat different. We know with a fair degree of certainty where our next meal is going to come from and we do not have to worry about some fanged creature springing upon us for its own meal. The two traits that we can thank for our survival, the need to worry and the tendency to hoard, are now beginning to work against us.
Evolution is an amazing thing in that it not only favours survival of the fittest, but also automatically redfines fitness for contemporary times. If today, the need for food and safety is no longer desperate, then the fittest are those who have a better handle on life, and demostrate balance rather than anxiety. In today's day and age, people who are happier are more likely to find a mate than those who are perpetually anxious. And survival of the fittest would mean the passing on of genes from people who are better adapted to today's society.
A respectful nod to the blind watchmaker.
No comments:
Post a Comment