Stupid Enough to Survive

    

Stupid Enough to Survive

   Darwin’s theory of evolution centers on the survival of the fittest — organisms that successfully adapt to their environments endure, while those that fail to adapt, or are outcompeted or preyed upon by other species, eventually perish. Nature provides abundant evidence: peppered moths darkened during England's Industrial Revolution to camouflage against soot-covered trees, Galápagos finches developed specialized beaks for different food sources, and desert cacti evolved water-retaining stems and protective spines.

Yet human evolution follows a fundamentally different path. We advance not despite our limitations, but because of them. Our propensity for error, misunderstanding, and confusion drives us to question, explain, and learn repeatedly. This peculiar "stupidity"—our need for multiple explanations and our hunger to make sense of existence—becomes the engine of our progress.

Darwin's principles certainly apply during acute crises: pandemics, wars, and individual struggles demand physical resilience and adaptability. But these moments, however intense, represent only fragments of human history. The longer stretches—marked by relative peace and stability—reveal our distinctive evolutionary pattern, one propelled by the pursuit of well-being, knowledge, and meaning rather than mere survival.

Consider how societies emerge from catastrophe. After the Black Death or COVID-19, humanity didn't simply rebuild—we developed enhanced medical understanding, strengthened cooperative systems, and deepened our capacity for empathy and social resilience. Our spiritual and scientific endeavors, from ancient religions to modern physics, spring from this same impulse: an insatiable need to illuminate the unknown and infuse existence with purpose.

This complexity, born from our limitations, may paradoxically ensure our survival. Unlike other species content with physical existence, we seek broader well-being—learning from weakness, cultivating intellectual and spiritual lives, and adapting through understanding rather than brute competition. Even during crises where Darwinian selection seems dominant, our capacity to extract meaning from hardship ultimately determines our resilience.

Perhaps, then, those who suggest we evolve because we're "stupid enough" to need clear instructions aren't entirely mistaken. Our very need to understand and explain—rooted in our cognitive limitations—may be the true catalyst of human evolution.

Toni Font, Aberdeen 16/10/2025