An Excerpt from Jim Conrad's
NATURALIST NEWSLETTER
of March 26, 2017
Issued from Rancho Regenesis near Ek Balam ruins 20kms north of Valladolid, Yucatán, Mexico

NATURE AS TEACHER

Why would Nature evolve humans so that, politically, about half of us tend toward the right while the other half tends toward the left? It's because both predispositions are adaptive for human populations. New, left-leaning ideas are needed because the world changes constantly and human society must adapt by changing. However, most new ideas are bad, since if they'd been good, they'd already be in place. Unthinking, kneee-jerk conservatism is needed to assure that only the best new ideas survive.

The uncomfortable feature of this situation is that masses of in-between people who swing right or left depending how good or at least how loud and persistent the leaders are, find themselves more and more in a constant state of confusion and uncertainty. Unrelenting claims and counterclaims merge into a bewildering clutter. What to do?

I would say, "Look to Nature." For, Nature shows how conservative and progressive philosophies can mingle to the benefit of all. And Nature has been around long enough for its way of doing things to be considered time-tested.

For example, Nature has conservatively kept certain successful ideas around for millions of years -- such as the cockroach and magnolia flower concept. At the same time, currently a mind-boggling explosion of diverse new species employing new-fangled ideas can be seen in such huge, fast-evolving, relatively recently arisen animal groups as the wood-warblers and beetles, and in plant families such as the Orchid, Grass and Composite.

Nature's models provide many such profoundly important insights. For example, throughout Nature resources are recycled at every level, wasting nothing, so we can say that "Nature teaches us not to waste resources, and to recycle."

Similarly, the evolution of Life on Earth began with one or a few simple organisms, but they and their descendants evolved until today we have thinking, feeling beings struggling toward ever higher levels of artistry, clear thinking and spirituality. Therefore, we can say that "Nature teaches us to keep trying for ever more exquisite levels of expression, of empathy with other things, and refined thought and feeling."

Some would say that such natural models are too general and vague to be useful. However, the way it works is that if Nature's general teachings are kept in mind every day as decisions are being made and things are done, the cumulative, contagious effects of even little changes in our behavior can be life changing, and for the better.