Adaptation

"We will adapt!", said the Borg. I am sure that all Star Trek next generation or voyager fans would be more than familiar with this statement. But what brings me to highlight this today is perhaps from a more evolutionary and existential point of view, rather than an ode to trekkies.

Life as we see around us, animate or inanimate, is brimming with one constant: Change. What is most fascinating is how everything always adapts. We often characterise human uniqueness by our ability to adapt. But the universe itself, always finds a way; water will always find a hole to slip out, light will always find a crack to shine through and organic life will always find a way to survive.

But such deep and existential wonderings may be left for another day.

Today, I would like to talk only about human adaptability. I find our ability to adapt to be the most cruel and yet the most healing aspect of our lives. Just when we feel that we cannot go on, we do. And as we adapt we find a way to survive the unthinkable. But the cruel reality is that in order to adapt, we must forgo every inch of our being, and change every belief to ensure that we don't perish. And those who are unable to bear this transition, ultimately peril.

But the question that is really on my mind today is not how to adapt, or when must we adapt; rather, is adaption always the best course of action? Evolution is inevitable. But is change always the right thing to do?

On encountering any hardship in life, I have always been advised to soldier on and leave the past behind. One must be ready to be flexible and not be stubborn. We are required to be amenable to change. But what about conviction? What about not being fickle? What about standing your ground and working to not being deterred from the goal in sight? Does the solution to life ultimately lie only in adaption and change? Does life expect us to be mercurial at all times? And is it ever ok to be rigid?

Perhaps the answers to these questions lie with no one. And we are all just stumbling along to get something right. Along my journey, I too am just winging it. But what pinches me often is that things I knew would never change have long transformed; people I thought were going to stick by me for life have faded into memories effortlessly; and beliefs I felt defined me have eroded into oblivion. I have adapted as per life's needs. But the questions that keep me awake most nights are, whether the new and adapted me is really who I am.. who I want to be.. whether it was worth the effort? And if things were meant to be like they are today, whether it was at all necessary to go through all that I did in the first place?

Perhaps, it would be better to just give in to fate and the flow of life. Maybe, life wants us to just accept that, "Resistance is futile!"