In the world of "survival of the fittest", creatures need to have or aquire what it takes to survive. From basic mobility skills, to sensory, to advanced and complex talents and traits.
Nature doesn't seem to be that cruel, however. And whoever coined the term "survival of the fittest" had either failed to explain it correctly, or was misinterpreted by those who read his Hive equivalent blog at the time.
Or, maybe it's simply just a bit more complicated to describe in a few words what really is at play in reality.
If survival was exclusive to the fittest, then how come we see what we see all around us?
Genetic diseases, mutations, and "weaker" traits which are deemed "bad" for instace, would have disappeared long ago along with those who have possessed them, never to be seen at our current times. Let alone human stupidity, which by such definition, and the scale of it, would probably fit well in the "very fit" category.
Nature in fact seems very forgiving, species in general are equipped and very capable to adapt to its harshness and chaotic unpredictability.
Not on the individual level at times perhaps, but on the larger scale of the community and population as a whole most of the time.
If it was up to me to call it anything else, I'd say "survival to all, with a free pass and free lunch to the lucky and privileged"
Designed to Blend In
Unfortunately, other animals or creatures don't have this ability, so they have to find other ways than to camouflage or blend-in with the surroundings. Usually this works pretty well, or it better does, because otherwise if you don't blend in, you get eaten, or injured and stranded to face your ultimate fate!
There are many other examples in nature, where shape and/or color change take effect, but it's all mostly for the benefit of the individual and its own survival.
As a less fortunate example regarding color variability and the ability to change it, which possibly shows sort of a disadvantage on the individual level, is the peppered moth (Biston betularia).
The moth's color look similar to the trees they perch on, they camouflage themselves that way from their natural predators, mostly birds.
As the Industrial revolution happened during the late 1700's and 1800’s, a fundamental change in manufacturing processes that led to the building of factories and much reliance on coal as the fuel. The burning of coal released massive amounts of smoke and smog into the surrounding environment, which left a layer of black soot on the once light-colored tree barks and on walls.
Before that happened, the light peppered moth was very common, while the dark form was very rare. The light moths blended in with the light-colored trees.
However, the industrial revolution changed the tree bark colors during that time, and as the tree barks darkened with soot, the light-colored moths were easier to spot.
They got eaten by birds more and more, while the rare dark colored moths blended in better on the darker trees. This made the dark colored moths fitter and gave them a higher survival rate. They lived longer and passed their dark colored genes onto their offspring.
A situation that got reversed later on, as factories abided by more environmentally friendly practices, much less coal burning and much less soot.
The point is, if there was only one color of that moth, be it the black or the light colored kind. The whole population would have suffered the same morbid fate, and the whole species would have gone extinct.
Some mutation which led to that color-code deviation has happened to some of the moths at some point during their evolution, which surely was odd from the "normal" moth's population point of view, and probably those different poor insects suffered much discrimination when they came to be, but in the end they certainly pioneered the survival of all their kind, without even knowing or taking any credit for it.
Although not color-shifters nor live on tree barks like chameleons or moths do, neither strong nor big as an elephant or the now-extinct dinosaurs, humans do top the list of survival and adaptibility skills.
I won't be talking about the excellence of our physicality despite some failures here and there, nor our astonishing ability to survive despite killing eachothers all the time.
I will just have a few words about our ingenuity and uniqueness in our adaptibility in the more complicated human social world, wether we are successful on that front or not.
Socially Unfit?
Since the dawn of time, humans like many other animals lived in groups, families, communities, societies, and so on.
Social interactions and gatherings are part of who we are as a specie and can be as needed as the air we breathe. We are social animals whether we like or despise it, because our survival, advancement, and success largely depends on that, or so we believe.
As important being social as it can be, the problem is, it puts lots of pressure on us as individuals, or at least it does to some. Not all of us are capable of being social butterflies, some of us are even considered socially awkward by an equally awkward standard that somebody thinks is the norm. And some can be discriminated against merely for their skin color, where they come from, or how they look or think.
This can be a huge set-back in our careers and life sometimes, and a set-back to the community as a whole, because not having the right person with the right skills at the right position affects everyone negatively.
Discriminations on many levels do take place all over the world, whether it is for skin color, ethnicity, or any of the other well known apparent differences between our own.
Even small differences in personalities and opinions are sufficient to cause strife and conflict!
The smaller the gathering the less differences you might see, but yet those nuisances never disappear. Be it something conscious or unconsciously, they do set the playing field.
Those who won the genes or the "social popularity" lottery, or even mastered the arts of public relations, wearing the right masks at the right times, can advance and get ahead easily without much effort or other skill, while those with a lesser blessing thrive for recognition by far more sophisticated and effort-full means.
Having to chose between the two, most if not all would rather the easier route if offered the chance. Something we never usually have the luxury of choice in, but what if we have? Should we?
As an Asocial person myself, I'd personally chose the other lane, the rocky road of "unpopularity" and self made, not just because it suits me more as an individual human being, but because it's the real deal.
Encountering real people with their loving down-to-earth nature along the way, being true to myself and to those around me.
After all, was it the socially skilled and popular that really advanced us as a species, or was it the "socially awkward nerds and geeks"?
So for those that may feel socially awkward, I feel you brothers and sisters, and I want to tell you that you are just real in a mostly fake world!
And for those who suffer from any form of discrimination or prejudice, no matter what it may be. I will only say that what doesn't break you makes you stronger, so make sure nothing can break you.
If there's anything to learn from nature and its living beings; Be who you are, and don't apologize for it. Because when it has all been said and done, and the truth shines bright. They might be the ones who need to apologize and ask your forgiveness.
Each and every individual is unique and important to the whole, if only people would realize it, most of our troubles would seize to be. Nature might appear cruel, unforgiving, and impartial to individuals. But deep down, it has already equipped us with the ability to adapt, survive, and succeed, we just have to self reflect and dig in.
You don't have to fake it, and you don't have to be the chameleon to blend or fit-in.
I believe, no matter how odd or different they might be, each and every individual is unique, valuable, and important to the whole. Each of us is a different successful experiment, a great potential, and a whole universe contained within.
