Survival of the kindest

In a podcast, Dacher Keltner mentioned “Survival of the kindest” and attributed it to Charles Darwin as the proposer of this idea. I was drawn to this thought and wanted to explore it further. Here is what I have learned. 

Not the strongest but the fittest survive

We all know Charles Darwin and learned in school about him. Human beings are weaker in comparison to a Tiger, a Bison, or an Elephant and have no chance of survival in a one-to-one fight. But humans made weapons, used fire to their advantage, cooperated with other human beings to take on animals lot bigger than them, and climbed the evolution ladder expanding their population. Cooperation can kill competition. That is the essence.

Gratitude is at the root

Before we get into understanding kindness, we need to understand gratitude and compassion. Though human beings no more live in the wild, we still struggle to survive or we think so. The issues we face have become different. Most of the issues we face are not struggles for survival. They are not needs (like food, water, shelter) which are essential for survival but desires (like wealth, power, fame) of wanting more. So, when a person is in a struggle, he gets tired of stress and anxiety. But look at those who have fewer complaints about life and have more gratitude. They thank God every day for food on their plate or a roof over their head. They have a positive approach to life. They have little or no stress and are much happier in life. They are the fittest to survive.

Compassion

Tiger cubs when they lose their mother hardly have any chances of survival in the jungle. That is because Tigers live alone. Think of Deer and Monkeys who live in a pack. These animals have compassion and care for each other. They alarm each other and help raise each other’s kids. That helps those species beat the game of evolution. Same thing with human beings. If you have a support group who cares for you, you are likely to face struggles with ease and would do better.

Kindness

Apart from gratitude and compassion, a kind person is selfless and unconditional. It does not mean they don’t fight for their survival. They will have strong boundaries with narcissists who want to misuse kind people. Knowing who to be kind to is a necessary skill too. With all that in place, kind persons not only do well with their own survival but help others do better too. They uplift the weak and provide them with a better playground. That is what Shivakumar Swamiji of Tumkur Siddaganga Mutt did. He helped many thousands survive and do better. 

Kind people not just survive but help the survival of their species. You don’t find them in the animal kingdom. They make humans the best species for survival.