notes #14: may the force of evolution be with you

The force of evolution absolutely amazes me.

I first learnt about evolution in high school biology class — but I’m not sure if it was my general disinterest in academics or otherwise, I simply forgot about it years later.

Only recently after reading several books and listening to people wiser than me talk about it that I begin to realise how much perspective I was missing out on.

If knowing about how humans came to be does not intrigue you much, let me say that evolution is related to:

• Creativity and what it means

• Understanding happiness

• Managing uncertainty and the onslaught of world-changing events

• Standing out in work and climbing the corporate ladder

• Building a business and competing with others

• The role of technology, economics, military and more

• How to live (maybe I should start with this)

First, the principal assumption — that evolution is the process in which we humans came to be. If you are not aware or convinced, check out Richard Dawkin’s The Blind Watchmaker where he does a fantastic and fascinating job of explaining it.

But in one line: evolution is …

While I know this won’t satisfy you, let me start with this. If evolution was how we came to be, then logically it defines and sets the stage for how we will change — which encompasses everything about the human experience.

Happiness is not a requirement or a goal. We have evolved to survive, not to be happy — sometimes being happy is a good indicator of our ability to survive, but not often necessary. Things like happiness and meaning are defined by us to give direction, and to stir our emotions for other motives.

We are born unequal. And evolution often selects for the stronger one. And while that’s terrible to hear, it’s the reality. Our hesitance to accept it often results in poor allocation of resources. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be compassionate or help those that are born with less, but rather to avoid overcompensating both ways — forcing equality or accepting extreme inequality.

Figuring things out and trial-and-error are to our personal growth what mutations are to evolution. We just got to keep trying, see what works, and improve from there. While we have the benefit of thinking ahead and of learning from history, only time will tell who survives.

Our world is a limited resource. Technological advancement makes us less dependent on these resources by making things more productive. Reframed otherwise, technology is a form of nature manipulation — to slow down, speed up, break down, or build up things according to our desires. Its power also determines which individuals, businesses, or countries stay ahead.

Survivability today is strongly associated with productivity. The more we can create, the higher our likelihood of survival. The economic or political systems we have that maximise productivity for the long-term will win. Long-term means to do so in a way that minimise disagreements and conflicts — for those will reduce productivity.

Creativity is simply searching until you find the thing that fits extraordinarily well with the problem you are facing. Survival is a prerequisite to creativity. Experimenting and trying new things give the appearance of creative endeavour.

I could go on and on…

But I’m still figuring it out and more importantly, reflecting how what it means for us individually — and how we should integrate it with our lives.

The above write-up is half-baked so don’t hold me accountable if I miswrote something. Just wanted to think out loud about this amazing force on our lives.

And that’s it. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think by replying to this email.

Cheers,
Joesurf

🧠 Weekly Notes

📖 Book [10/10] — The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins

• Natural Selection as the 'Blind Watchmaker': Challenges the notion of a purposeful designer by illustrating how natural selection, an unconscious and automatic process, can lead to the complexity observed in biological organisms. This counters the traditional watchmaker analogy, which suggests that complex design implies a designe.

• Cumulative Selection Over Randomness: Evolution is not a product of random chance but of cumulative selection, where small, beneficial changes build up over time, leading to complex structures like the eye.

• Refutation of Intelligent Design: By demonstrating how natural processes can account for the complexity and diversity of life, Dawkins argues against the necessity of invoking an intelligent designer to explain biological phenomenon.

📖 Notable Quotes from The Blind Watchmaker:

• "Natural selection—the unconscious, automatic, blind, yet essentially nonrandom process Darwin discovered—is the blind watchmaker in nature."

• "The idea that nature was governed by laws was already common... events are brought about not by insulated interpositions of Divine power... but by the establishment of general law.

📖 Book [10/10] — Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio

• The Big Cycle Framework: Concept of the "Big Cycle," a recurring pattern where dominant powers rise and fall due to factors like debt accumulation, internal conflict, and loss of competitiveness. Understanding this cycle is crucial for anticipating future global shits.

• Indicators of National Strength: Eight key determinants of a nation's power and wealth: education, competitiveness, innovation and technology, economic output, share of world trade, military strength, financial center strength, and reserve currency status.

• Current Global Dynamics: Potential decline of the U.S. as the leading global power and the rise of China, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical patterns to navigate the changing world order.

📖 Notable Quotes from Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order:

• "When central banks print a lot of money, buy stocks, gold, and commodities because their value will rise, and the value of paper money will fall."

• "The most important factor in the success of a nation is their investment in education."