Why is nature so hellbent on survival?

Question

This is something I've been wondering about for weeks. I understand why we as humans want to survive, that is to enjoy the pleasures of life, but why do we continue the species, why do we eat, why does our nature inscribe in us survive at any cost?

Really, please, think hard about this one. I'd like to know what your opinion is.

Answer 1

That is really a thought provoking question to answer.

I thought deeply, as you wanted us to do, before answering.

Yes. all the species have certain in-built mechnism to preserve and perpertuate their tribe. The present is the sum total of the experience of the past members of the species. The King dies; long live the king. The individual member of the species passes away but he passes on the expeience of life and his response to the environ to the next generation and so on and so forth. The mutation that takes place dramatically in germs and minor organisms do occur in higher organisms like the human beings also in a subtle and imperceptible way so that in the long run they are competent to tackle the adverse situations that they suffered earlier. The survival of the fittest operate, constantly. The fittest who survive carry forward the seeds of their success story so that the progenies who inherit them are able to adapt themselves easily to the hitherto adverse environs.

But, your question is why we want to work for the survival of the species. Even, smaller organism like germs struggle to survive and perpetuate the species. Why?

I studiously avoided giving an answer to this question, from the religious point of view. But, ultimatley, we have to seek help from theology. As a matter of fact, that is the purpose of all religions- religion, being the result of man's quest for knowing the unknown. Science will be able to give us the underlying facts, not obviously known and visible to us. Science will enlighten us and put things in their proper perspective. Man keeps on asking why this happens and how that occurs. Ultimatley, we will end up in a blind alley, as in this case.

Theologically, let me explain. Of course, this is a Hindu point of view. The Universal Energy (the potential form of God) keeps changing from the dormant stage to the potential stage. In the dormant stage (the Siva concept of God), there is no activity and creation. All the creative forces are withdrawn into Himself. Then the creative phase commences. Creation starts. The dynamic form of God (the Sakthi concept of God) takes charge. Siva and Sakth are not different gods. One and the same, depending on what stage He is in. The Creation starts with a Big Bang. The Universe keeps expanding. The word - jagat, in Sanskrit, meaning 'that which keeps moving' explains the changing nature of creation. The dynamic form of God, has five functions to perform- to create, to maintain, to destroy, to delude and to remain hidden. All the drama that we witness in Nature's creation are due to the 'lila' of the God. Lila, means the play of God. For him, it is fun and play. The war and peace are just different chapters of the same drama. However, He enacts this drama, within certain parametres of law. The law of Karma. The law of Karma, means that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Every being's life here is conditioned by the result of his past karma. Karma presupposes previous birth. It is this theory of Karma that explains many difficult situations that many faithful persons suffers in life. A devout and the good suffer because of their karma. A evil person, despite his evil, is rewarded because of his karma. A new-baby born to a wealthy parent dies even in the hospital; and another baby is born to poor parents and suffer throughout its life from want. Why? It is the result of their respective karmas.

In the instant question, that is before us, I do not think there can be any other answer than saying that it is the will or lila of the Creator. That is how the Creator had willed it. It is a part of the universal process or rule of karma.

Answer 2

If an organism wasn't hellbent on survival, it probably wouldn't survive. Life's hard work, and there's a lot of danger out there- predators, disease, etc. If you didn't care if you lived or died, what would stop you from doing the things likely to get you killed? Or keep you doing the things you need to to survive? If it's shorter to go past the lion's den, the only thing keeping you from going that way is an extreme urge not to get eaten by the lion.

And any species that wasn't intent on propagation of the species would die out within a generation. Imagine if humans didn't like sex, or liked sex but everyone hated kids. In the first case, no one would have it, so no babies. In the second case, we have contraception now, so only one in a hundred people would have babies and the species would die off more slowly. These people probably wouldn't be the best parents, anyway, so I imagine there'd be lots of kids dying of neglect, further harming the species. So any species that either doesn't care about living or doesn't care about procreation has long since died off.

Answer 3

This shows the value of life doesn't it? I think human beings sometimes underestimate the value of human life. We suicide over the most minute things like failing our tests, losing a partner etc etc....I think nature is hellbent on survival because everything has the right to survive. Given a chance in this world we should appreciate and do all we can to make sure our life has served a purpose.

Answer 4

the sole purpose of life is to create new life. Mother Nature needs to maintain a state of homeostasis on this planet and this is one of her techniques.

You might say there is a cosmic battle between sustaining and destroying. It is postulated that the entire universe is made up of different forms of energy (even material objects). Energy readily changes form, but each form is resistant to change. It is all part of the Universal Flux that keeps the universe going. Now the question is why does the Universe need to survive?

Answer 5

It isn't only humans who are hellbent on survival, as you put it. The purpose of all organisms is survival. All organisms must take in energy (eat) to survive. If they do not take in energy, they will not be able to reproduce. If they cannot reproduce, their genes will not continue into the gene pool. This means that if one particular orgamism lacks the will to survive, it will not survive. But it will also not reproduce. The organisms that have the will to survive will reproduce and their genes will continue the species. The survival of the species is related to each individual organism's will to survive. As long as their are organisms that have the will and ability to survive, the species will survive. The loss of will or ability to survive in a single organism will not affect the survival of the species because only the organisms who survive will reproduce.

Look at simple organisms. Yeast will continue to feed and multiply until it runs out of natural resources and poisons itself with its own waste. It continues to mulitply even though the accumulating numbers will prove fatal because each organism has the will to survive based on its genetic background. Humans are the same way. We continue to persist as a species because individual humans have the will to survive. We need to also take note of simpler organisms (like yeast) to limit our success as individuals in reproduction to prevent using all of our natural resources and thus securing the survival of the species as a whole. But these restraints (on reproduction) are not natural and are not part of the individual's desire to survive.

Answer 6

Because it is what Life is all about. The great question has always been " What is the meaning of Life", that is easy: Life is life to be lived. There is no grand plan for Life, it is just to be lived and experienced by each of us individually. All of Nature is like this, every living thing exists to exists, if it didn't this would have been a barren lifeless planet centuries ago. The question isn't "what is Life about?" but "How do you live your life".

Answer 7

I believe in a universal will -- the kind of will that can cause the big bang, and will atomic particles to bind together to form anything and everything from inanimate rocks to a living, breathing, highly complex human being.

as to what the ultimate purpose of this universal will is -- we do not as yet possess enough data to extrapolate a conclusion. but i think it is clear that this universal will is driving everything to evolve into increasingly more complex forms of life. our survival instinct ensures that at the very least we live long enough to propagate and produce more evolved offspring.

Answer 8

mankinds quest for eternal life

Answer 9

man loves sex and woman loves motherhood, natural instinct of all creatures.

Answer 10

Do you want to live?....lol