SI 003: Fit like Darwin

You have probably heard the phrase 'survival of the fittest', right?

 

Good old Charlie Darwin and his incredible work 'On The Origin of Species'.

 

But this use of 'fitness' often gets misconstrued as meaning strongest, or toughest.

 

It is not necessarily the strongest or toughest species which survives... and nor is that true for individuals.

 

In fact, in 1963 Leon C Megginson, a management and marketing professor at Louisiana State University, paraphrased it like this:

 

"According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself."

 

Please note, that is not a quote from Darwin himself, as is often misquoted.

 

But the fact remains... a species which is to survive in a harsh and changing environment has to be adaptable to those changes.

 

Humans are arguably the most adaptable creature on the planet... hell, we've spread to all corners and all climates!

 

But sometimes we need reminding on a personal level that yes, we are adaptable.

 

Yes, we can find ways to adjust to the changes around us, no matter what they might be.

 

We cannot control the environment, we cannot control the circumstances.

 

But we can do our damn best to adapt and evolve as things shift and sway.

 

Agree, disagree?

 

Would love to hear your thoughts 😊

 

Let me know by dropping me a comment 😊

 

(and subscribe to get the newest edition of the Slight Improvement newsletter straight to your inbox every week)

 

Until next week…

 

Big love,

Jay x