evolution of plant and animal life, only those plants and
animals which adjusted to their changing environment
survived.
Those plants which did not adjust to the chang-
ing temperatures, soil, moisture and other growth factors
simply did not survive. Those which did adjust, took the
first necessary step in survival.
The early forms of animal life had to do the
same thing-and more. Animal life had to adjust to the
elements-and it also had to adjust to living in the same
environment with other animals. This adjusting to living
in the same environment with other animals consisted of
fleeing safely when attacked or defeating the other animals
in combat, or "joining them» by making some accommo-
dation which would permit living peacefully together.
Now, let's examine the second necessary step
to survival, which is: Having first adjusted to your environ-
ment, you must constantly improve what you then are.
This is the "law of the jungle". It also is a fundamental law
of life. Survival depends, not only on adjustment, but on
constant improvement which will enable you to keep up
with or, preferably, to surpass competition within your
environment.
For example, in plant life, a pretty little flower
might be well adjusted to the elements of its environment,
but not improve in such a way as to prevent being smoth-
ered out of existence by other plants which constantly
improved in growth, size, strength and in rapidly expand-
ing their area coverage.