Survival of the Fittest: Impact of Individualism vs. Collectivism

"Survival of the fittest" - this term is found everywhere from nature documentaries to game shows. From the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin to the evolutionary theory of Alfred Russel Wallace about organisms and humans, how did this term make its way into our daily language, and what does it actually mean? 

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 A biologist named Herbert Spencer coined the term in the 1860s. Reacting to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and Darwin's observations, Spencer believed that the trends used to explain the biological world could be used to explain human society. 

Today, Spencer's views are considered radically individualist, as he believed helping someone in need weakened the human species as a whole. This doesn't leave much room for relatively universal cultural values like protecting one's family and neighbors. 

So what is the value of the phrase "survival of the fittest" in today's culture, where we all seem completely intertwined in complicated social and economic ties?  

We'll discuss ways that a person can develop skills and competence in both an individualistic and community-oriented sense. By combining these two skill sets, a skilled person can hone their abilities and be ready to face any emergency scenario - protecting themselves, their family, and their neighbors. 

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Origins of 'Survival of the Fittest' and Its Evolution 

Difference between Survival of the Fittest and Natural Selection 

'Survival of the Fittest" is often attributed to Darwin, but it was actually a social scientist named Herbert Spencer writing in the 1860s who coined the phrase. 

Spencer read Darwin's famous Origin of the Species. This book explained natural selection and laid the groundwork for the law of evolution. This explains that over time, animals with traits that are well adapted to their habitat will tend to survive longer. This means they will reproduce more and their genes will become more common. Animals without these favorable traits will not reproduce as much, and so their genes will fade from the gene pool.

Source: Wikimedia Commons 

For example - coyotes can adapt to many different food sources, so they tend to survive habitat destruction by switching to a different food supply. Giant pandas, on the other hand, can only eat bamboo, so they are less resilient to losing their normal food supply. 

Spencer believed that this idea applied to human society and ethics, also. He rested his theoretical system on the belief that there were biological differences among human beings that made some better than others - the basis for racist eugenics.

How Survival of the Fittest has been Updated for Modern Times 

We know now that there is no biological determination of success among human beings. Since these "survival of the fittest" arguments were used to justify the atrocities of Nazi Germany during WWII, the term has been redefined. Now, in popular culture, it's usually used to mean the types of skills, training, and mindset that an individual or community can develop to make themselves more resilient in a number of situations. 

Spencer's underlying idea persists - that societies are gradually getting better by adapting to new demands and situations. Most people today believe that "getting better" means finding ways to overcome cultural differences and allow individuals to pursue differences within a relatively stable cultural system. 

What this Means for Preparedness

So does this mean that you do not embrace individual self improvement? Not at all - modern society demands a level of cooperation that is fully compatible with individual expression. What better way to use your individual freedom than to ensure that you're prepared to adapt to any scenario that arises? 

Next, we'll cover some key ways to do this. 

Individualism Preparedness: Fitness for Survival 

Modern society has a relatively collectivist culture. The enormous economic growth of the past two centuries has been based on specialization. So maybe you specialize in plumbing, but you rely on someone else to supply food, fix your roof, do your taxes.

This isn't a problem in daily life. But what about emergencies, when you can't rely on calling someone for help, and have to figure it out yourself? 

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We'll talk about three key traits that contribute to survival in an emergency scenario:

• Resilience
  
  
• Resourcefulness
  
  
• Physical Preparedness
  
  

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to withstand or quickly recover from setbacks. Resilience is crucial in all areas of life. You might need resilience to handle tough situations at work or interpersonal relationships that go badly. 

In an emergency situation some people will go to pieces and wait for someone else to step up and solve the problems. Resilient individuals will not wait - they will find solutions and adapt to the situation.

 If you want to be prepared to face a threat scenario, you can develop your own behavior: 

• Develop internal scripts for facing hard challenges
  
  
• Put plans in place for emergencies
  
  
• Don't assume someone else will be around to solve the problem
  
  

Related: Read "Mental Fortitude for Emergency Preparedness"

Resourcefulness

Resilience allows you to calmly face an emergency and evaluate your options to take sensible action. Resourcefulness helps you have more options to choose from. 

 For example, in a medical emergency, home fire, hiking accident, or other crisis, most people only have one move - call 911. But what if that's not an option, or emergency help won't arrive in time? 

This is where developing survival skills can make the difference in a scenario where you have to wait for help to arrive:

• Basic first aid
  
  
• Simple fire suppression techniques
  
  
• Foraging
  
  
• Fire starting
  
  
• Navigating without technology
  
  
• Self defense
  
  

Source:  cottonbro studio

Developing these skills often gives one a sense of achievement, which further boosts resilience in a survival scenario. You know that things may look bad, but you have resources and skills you can draw on to keep yourself and people around you safe. 

Part of resilience is having the equipment you need to keep yourself safe in an emergency. The ability to breathe safely, for example, could ensure your survival in a scenario where a chemical or biological agent is released into the air. 

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Physical Preparedness

In our modern "knowledge economy," what you know is often the most valuable means you have of making a living. 

In a survival scenario, however, physical strength becomes more important than it is in daily life. In a wilderness survival scenario, for example your chances of surviving are significantly higher if you are in good physical condition.

READ NOW: Mastering Wilderness Survival 

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Some things you can do to boost your physical preparedness:

• Exercise regularly
  
  
• Build endurance through hiking and running
  
  
• Practice hiking through difficult terrain
  
  
• Strength-training exercises
  
  

Developing these three attributes - resilience, resourcefulness, and physical fitness - benefit you in daily life as well, even if an emergency never arises. If you do find yourself in a survival scenario, these three characteristics could very well save your life. 

Collectivism Preparedness: Strength in Numbers 

Just as individuals can cultivate "fitness" attributes that help them thrive in difficult circumstances, so can communities.

Some newbie survivalists like to fantasize that they can "make it" Robinson Crusoe -style, truly alone, without needing another person for anything. Most of us know that's unrealistic. More so, we want to ensure the wellbeing of our family and neighbors in a disaster. 

Communities can band together to share valuable equipment that might be needed in an emergency. These days, there are far more threats in the world than just natural disasters. Keeping a stockpile of gas masks, radiation detector kits, and child-sized protective gear on hand can ensure that multiple community members are equipped to respond to threats and help others evacuate from dangerous situations. 

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Group Dynamics and Survival

Philosophers since Aristotle have accepted that humans band together for security and survival. Even the concept of having one team member on lookout while the others sleep is a basic application of group dynamics.

One example is community preparedness. By thinking ahead, groups can make sure that each individual or family unit is equipped with the basic tools for survival in an emergency - food, water, medicine, and shelter. You can prepare everyone with evacuation routes and procedures. This minimizes risks by making sure everyone knows what to do, rather than relying on the handful of prepared individuals to rescue everyone else in the heat of the moment. 

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Culture of Safety 

Knowledge is power. In a rapidly-changing environment like the 21st century world, adaptability depends on free exchange of knowledge and ideas. 

Many survivalists are harnessing the power of the internet to share resources, tools, and best practices, understanding the group dynamics of survival are just as important as individual capability. . Survival forums online offer tips on building shelter, water purification systems, and Faraday cages. Community-response teams train with HAM radios to respond to threats. 

Source: Kmccook, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Adaptability is a key feature of fitness - making use of the resources your community provides helps you adapt more quickly to increasing threats in our fast-changing world. 

And there is no one “magic bullet” that will keep you safe in a CBRN threat scenario. 

NATO training guidance states:

“Presently, no single personal protective equipment can protect the user from exposure to all hazards. It is vital that the correct combination of respirator, protective clothing, and other equipment is carefully chosen based on a conclusive hazard assessment” 

This means that true preparedness means acquiring the knowledge and skills to assemble a complete protection kit, maintain it properly, and deploy it quickly in a true emergency. A culture of safety makes such knowledge the norm, rather than the exception. 

Social Darwinism and the Individual vs. Group Debate in Society 

Spencer is considered the father of "social Darwinism." Spencer was writing at a time where industry was creating ultra-rich dynasties like the Rockefellers, but the poor were dying in large numbers in slums across the word. Spencer used the term "survival of the fittest" to suggest that the poor simply weren't tough enough to survive the new, capitalist society.

Spencer argued that the government should avoid providing any aid to the poor, as this would encourage survival of the weak. Rather, inequality would cause less fit members of society to die, while the rich could live on.

This philosophy clearly has moral problems. These became clear throughout the 20th century as Social Darwinism was used to justify horrible acts like forced sterilization, mass murder, and abuse of physically handicapped people. 

Today, most social scientists think in terms of what makes a culture or society more fit to adapt to changing demands.  For example, a culture that can't embrace changing technology won't do a good job adapting to a new environment. It might not be as successful as a culture that can integrate new technology while keeping its sense of social cohesion. 

The science of adaptation in preparedness is still a challenge. Modern societies strive to find ways for individuals to pursue their own goals while providing security and rights for everyone. While different societies have used their own interpretation and edition of Spencer's theory, it's easy to see that collective good can only be achieved when societies focus on growing together.

Next, we'll turn to ways in which individual preparedness and group preparedness can be harnessed to increase the odds of survival. 

Case Studies: Individual vs. Group in Survival Scenarios 

Individual skills and group support both play a role in survival. We'll consider three case studies that show the roles played by individual survival skills, positive group dynamics, and proper equipment and training. 

Case Study 1 - Teen Girl Survives 11 Days in the Amazon 

In 1971, 17-year old Juliane Koepcke survived for 11 days alone in the Peruvian rainforest after a plane crash. Her experience is the perfect example of how building individual survival skills can save your life. 

Koepcke was taught all the skills she needed by her biologist parents, who raised her on a Peruvian research station. She used rivers to navigate, cleaned a maggot-infested wound with scavenged gasoline, and avoided poisonous plants with her foraging knowledge. 

Another individual without that specialized knowledge - even if they were physically stronger than Koepcke - certainly would not have been able to survive without that level of individual preparedness. 

Case Study 2 - "Disaster Collectivism" 

Examples abound of human generosity in the face of disaster, especially when government response isn't enough. People come together, often at personal risk, to serve their communities in the face of a true threat.

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, local boat-owners spontaneously joined together to conduct search-and-rescue operations. They called themselves the "Cajun navy" and are estimated to have rescued at least 10,000 people after the hurricane. 

Source: Bob McMillan; edit: Chris Woodrich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Case Study 3 - Miners Using Advanced Respirators

Mining is a notoriously dangerous job, with workers often dying from conditions like Black Lung. Recently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has offered grant money to companies and organizations for updating their workers’ equipment to provide advanced protection. Combined with training, this helps workers in risky scenarios protect their lungs. 

Source: MIRA Safety 

The Preparedness Community: Why Group Preparedness is Essential 

The best time to respond to an emergency is before it starts. For example, the "Cajun Navy" formed in response to Katrina is now on standby for future disasters.

Belonging to a preparedness-minded community grants several benefits:

• You can trade tips
  
  
• You can learn from more experienced community members
  
  
• You boost the capability of everyone in your community
  
  
• You get real-time feedback on developing situations
  
  
• You can pool skills and materials, like tools and specialized knowledge
  
  

Survival is not a me-versus-them process. By increasing the skills of everyone in a preparedness-oriented community, you minimize the risks of having a bunch of unprepared, panicking people in your network during a true emergency. 

Most people in the preparedness community find a sense of purpose in using their skills to teach and encourage their community. You'd be surprised at how much of what you already know is specialized knowledge for your neighbors. 

Ethical and Practical Implications of 'Survival of the Fittest' in Preparedness 

Social scientists define the difference between individualism and collectivism as a cultural orientation that prioritizes the individual, or one that prioritizes the group. Most Western cultures are more or less individualist, as they value the expression of the private self. 

Because we are mostly concerned with our own goals and preferences in daily life, most people assume that emergencies will be characterized by a dog-eat-dog mentality in individualist cultures. Indeed, hoarding behavior in the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated some of these ethical problems. 

For every example of selfish action, however, there are many personal sacrifices and heroism. Plus, we're guessing that if your kid has a dangerous fever, you're going to want someone with medical skills around willing to help you out. 

Source: Tolu Akinyemi 🇳🇬 on Unsplash

In a high-risk scenario, we certainly advise seeing to the safety of your own household. After all, ensuring that your family has safe shelter, clean water, food, and necessary medical supplies means that emergency personnel don't have to rescue YOU and can be freed up to help the most vulnerable. 

Once you've set up your own emergency plans and supplies, consider balancing your individual preparedness with some community action:

• Leading first aid or survival skills trainings
  
  
• Creating a high-quality CBRN threat PPE Kit
  
  
• Create communications networks with HAM radios
  
  
• Assign skilled individuals to check on elderly or vulnerable neighbors
  
  
• Mark evacuation routes
  
  
• Identify emergency shelters - churches, schools, government buildings
  
  

The more people who are trained for resilience in an emergency situation, the less damage the community will take and the quicker the recovery will be. 

Reframing 'Survival of the Fittest' for a Balanced Preparedness Mindset 

So knowing what you know now, what does it mean to be "fit" in an emergency scenario?

It's not just about being the physically toughest person in your area. Short-term survival from a threat does not guarantee long-term well being. 

After all, biological "survival of the fittest" is only concerned with the species as a whole. There's no consideration of your well-being as an individual. 

True "fitness for emergencies" is characterized by adaptability and resilience in a number of scenarios, including group and individual survival scenarios. 

Part of individual peace of mind is the knowledge that someone has your back. That's why it's crucial to understand that people have a fundamental interdependence.

You can hone your individual skills and competencies to strengthen the group as a whole, which in turn benefits your own self-interest in survival and thriving. 

Source: Photo by Lum3n

Conclusion: Balancing Individual and Group Survival in Preparedness 

Emergency scenarios are unpredictable and dynamic. No one plans to be in a plane crash, get lost on a hike, or be trapped in a burning building.

This is why a variety of adaptable skills are key to being prepared for anything. Personal skills like shelter building or first aid can save your life and that of anyone with you. Maintaining the necessary equipment like air-purifying respirators, haz-suits, and decontamination equipment can make the difference between health and painful illness. 

Contributing to the community around you strengthens the social bonds that you may very well depend on in a true crisis, increasing everyone's odds of survival. 

Comprehensive emergency preparedness finally comes down to embracing the role of the individual and the group in an emergency  - and in everyday life. 

Sources:

“The Complicated Legacy of Herbert Spencer, the Man Who Coined ‘Survival of the Fittest’,” Smithsonian Magazine 

“Survival of the Fittest vs. Natural Selection”, ThoughtCo

“Disaster collectivism: How Communities Rise Together to Respond to Crises,” Abundant Community 

“How teenager Juliane Koepcke survived a plane crash and solo 11-day trek out of the Amazon,” ABC News 

“Community Preparedness,” Mississippi Emergency Management Agency 

“How citizens turned into saviors after Katrina struck,” CBS News