The 10 basic principles of Evolutionism

Evolutionary psychology shows us how evolution modulates our behavior.

Although Evolutionism is a scientific paradigm based on Biological evolution, its laws and insights are also applicable to other areas of human life, such as the social and psychological spheres.

Like all current explanatory models, it cannot explain human complexity in its entirety, but it can offer an interesting vision that helps us to better understand what surrounds us.

The 10 principles of evolutionism that will help you understand life

In order to adopt the evolutionary perspective, we have to understand the principles on which it is based and keep in mind that the word evolution is sometimes used as a synonym for the vital process or life itself.

1. Reality is changeable

In the world there are so many elements in permanent interaction that nothing is static, everything and everyone is in a process of constant change. This principle is explained by the evolutionists with the Red Queen Effect. This hypothesis is extracted from the second part of the story of Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandwhere the inhabitants of the Red Queen's country must run as fast as possible in order to preserve their status quo and simply stay where they are.

In real life we can see how this effect occurs in many areas, such as the workplace, where retraining is necessary if we do not want to be outdated or be overtaken by the competition, or in the social-economic field, where not being up to date with the latest trends can mean social exclusion, in the military field "arms races" are the simile of this effect because not being up to date in weaponry can mean losing the war. From this principle we can draw the conclusion: evolve or die.

2. Evolution does not have a pre-established purpose, it simply happens all the time.

Searching for a meaning to life is generally useless and may be a question to which we can never give an answer, therefore, we have to be the ones who give it the meaning and establish it.

3. Evolution is convergent

There is no end but there are paths for evolution traced in a very clear way. Although we live in a very large world, all people throughout the history of mankind have followed very similar evolutions both in physical and intellectual development and in the development of the life cycle, i.e., we converge in most aspects.

4. Evolution follows a path

It cannot go where it wants, but where it can. There are always limitations and obstacles that individuals have to overcome as they can, overcoming them or making use of available resources.

5. Evolution is not perfectionist, it is opportunistic.

If things work, why change them? We know that the law of minimum effort governs the universe, and in general this also happens in people's lives. If we are doing well, we are not oriented towards change.

6. One function can be adapted to another function

Following the line of the previous principle of not trying too hard, people do not usually look for new ways of doing things, but adapt the skills we already have to solve the different challenges we face. This point is closely related to the following...

7. When something emerges and works, it is copied, copied and copied...

And it is repeated endlessly, so that it spreads exponentially. But, if something comes along that is better, the previous thing is discontinued. This phenomenon can be observed...

8. The nature of evolution is thrifty

As we have seen in the previous points, it tries not to spend too many resources, except for reproduction. When an individual sees opportunities to reproduce (or simply to have sex) he/she makes the greatest investment of resources in all aspects, in the case of the human being, time, dedication, money, cognitive resources, development of strategies, and a long etcetera are invested.

9. Evolution never comes back, it only goes

The same happens with life, we can never go back or undo past actions. The only thing we can do is move forward.

10. We cannot fight against the principles of evolution.

The only thing that living beings can do in the face of this fact is to adapt. Life, therefore, is adaptation.