From our fight-or-flight reactions and our quick emotional responses like rage and fear, aversion and greed, to the ability to endure physical hardship, evolution has offered humans tools for survival in harsh environments where our ancestors faced constant threats and scarcity of resources.
However, in modern society, the immediate challenges of survival have largely been mitigated. We have advanced healthcare, education, abundant food, energy, and shelters. This shift has created a new context where merely surviving is no longer sufficient; we must now evolve to thrive.
Survival involves meeting basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety. Thriving, on the other hand, is about flourishing and reaching one’s potential. It encompasses physical well-being, mental health, emotional fulfillment, social connections, and self-actualization. The tools required to thrive are complex and multifaceted, involving emotional intelligence, resilience, creativity, and the ability to cultivate meaningful relationships.
Unless we evolve to thrive, we might be caught like animals in a cage, with a set of automatic reactions, emotions that are not adapted to the nuances of the modern world. We might be too hungry for the abundance of food, to easily angered when our safety is not threatened, to lazy to stand up and move sufficiently to stay healthy.
To thrive, we must redefine our expectations of what a good life means. We must learn to cultivate resilient authentic reciprocal relationships. We must control our cravings and soften our aggressive traits. We need to think more and respond rather than react. We need to listen with openness and humility.
If we don’t do this, we have the tools to destroy ourselves in endless conflicts. When I look at the world, sometimes I fear that it will require a lot of suffering for all of us to understand this.
Martin Pham Dinh 