Unnatural Selection

In various previous posts I have made mention of the advancement of civilization and society pushing fairly important aspects of nature — like natural selection — aside, without really touching on what I mean. I figured I should explain myself to some extent, or at least get my chest unweighted.

For the vast majority of human history — nearly 290,000 years — our greatest struggle has been survival. Where is the next meal coming from? Will we survive the angry clouds? What was that noise? And as morbid as it may seem to us now, if you were weak, stupid, or lazy, you died. This was natural selection at work, ensuring a functioning and productive population for efficient and continued survival.

As civilization began forming, however, many of the trials and tribulations faced by our hearty ancestors were replaced with walls, gates, windows, and storefronts. No longer required to run out into the great, dangerous unknown in search of food or water, they were graciously provided by ingenuity and capitalism. Wheelchair ramps and specialized care allow even the most feeble among us to enjoy McDonald’s ice creams and IMAX documentaries about penguins.

We have done a great job of removing ourselves from what made us what we are. Though there is a problem: thousands of years of hard living and conditioning don’t simply vanish overnight. Being jumpy at strange noises at night, the slow deterioration of empathy as living conditions worsen — these things are hardwired into our DNA thanks to thousands of years of living off the land, facing constant dangers and not knowing why the sun goes away every day and if we will live to see it come back.

We went from surviving nature to studying it. Now we can sit in front of a television for hours, having food delivered to our doors. The greatest issue of survival — for some — is whether they remembered to turn off the bathroom light before going to work this morning. The fear, stress, and anxiety our ancestors experienced on a daily basis still remain in our blood, in our DNA, but with no reasonable outlet.

The modern influx of anxiety, depression, even psychosis — I would argue — is the result of thousands of years of hard living suddenly being replaced with soap operas and Jet2 holiday promotions — save £50 per person. So I am left wondering: how long before — arguably — civilized living becomes as ingrained in our DNA as survival used to be? How long before our very biology gets used to comfortable living? And what would the next step be, if there even is one?