Daniel Dennett's book 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea' changed my understanding of evolution. I had heard the idea in 'The Red Queen', but it hadn't sunk in. Survival of the Fittest can suggest we know in advance who the fittest is. That isn't how it works. A lot of random stuff happens. With sufficient diversity, something can survive even if almost everything doesn't. If 5% survives *and can rebuild*, then we can cope with some pretty big knocks. The Red Queen in Wonderland says, 'it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place'. The important thing isn't the destination, or even knowing what is going to happen. Too much is uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. We can't know. The important thing is the running. The being. The ability to cope. Always be at least 5% okay.
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