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Tao Stoic 218

"Master, the uniqueness of every living individual, is that not shared by the pebbles on the beach?"

"Indeed it is. But in living things it is used for Natural Selection. Without it, no selection. You know of course, that Wells (Outline) calls the 'Survival of the Fittist' a misnomer, that it should be the 'Fitter'. Even then, 'survival' is wrong. There is absolutely no survival. No living thing survives. All die. It only means that a good mutation can adapt itself the better, thereby live (statistically) longer, hence more offspring (that have the same tendency). Often it is good to observe how even scientists do not speak precise words, it becoming no more than a sloganisation."


Ven 2005-01-24