In a famous tale (une fable) by Jean de La Fontaine an oak boasts of being strong and derides a reed. When a storm comes the oak gets struck and perishes, the reed bows with the wind and survives.
Last edited by duszek on Sun May 29, 2016 8:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
duszek wrote:Is resilience strength and stiffness weakness ?
In a famous tale (une fable) by Jean de La Fontaine an oak boasts of being strong and derides a slim plant. When a storm comes the oak gets struck and perishes, the slim plant bows with the wind and survives.
Good point. It depends. If they were eucalypt trees in Australia and there was a bushfire, then the situations would be reversed.
I use to enjoy a fairly famous psychedelic music band. After their first American tour, two key members left because the experience was more gruelling than they could handle. A remaining member described them as "weak", but added that it was not a judgement because "weakness can also be a quality". I spent years trying to make sense of that and, as I said a bit earlier in the thread, weakness just means one has fewer niches that one can occupy. That doesn't mean a weak person or animal can't be highly successful occupying a suitable niche.
If we look at the human species are honest and decent people better at surviving or rather bullies, liers, cheaters, manipulators, fraudsters, mobsters ?
duszek wrote:If we look at the human species are honest and decent people better at surviving or rather bullies, liers, cheaters, manipulators, fraudsters, mobsters ?
Nature has always operated on a "might is right" basis. However, in a world dominated by humans, tiny delicate creatures like flies and mosquitoes can thrive. I think the idea is that, if you're weak, you either choose your battles wisely or avoid them altogether. The range in which you can operate is less that the strong, so they must seek out the niches that the strong have either rejected or missed.
Jaded Sage wrote:Why would a strong being reject a niche?
Because the strong is enjoying a better niche and you can't be everywhere at one. Strong animals take prime territories, and the weaker make do with what the strong don't need.
