To Do or not to Do

Why do we do the things we do? Why do we do anything? Why do we brush our teeth in the morning? Why do we go to work? Why do we join friends for lunch? Why do we eat alone? Why do we browse YouTube for entertaining videos?…

Why am I writing this blog? Why are you reading it?

We humans have free will, and everything we do is governed by it. So, the answer to some of those questions could be a glaring “because I want to, because I feel like it.” But why is it that some things are more preferred than others? Why do normal people (and by “normal” I mean in the statistical sense of being the norm) prefer things that keep them happy and healthy over things that do otherwise? If it’s only free will that governs our decisions, then why is there an asymmetry between things we do and things we avoid?

Something else is at play, and it’s long been my belief that it’s the driver of all life: an instinct for survival. The well-known survival instinct is finding food and shelter. Almost every living being capable of the least bit of thinking has this instinct. It ensures that the individual, and sometimes even the group (think schools of fish traveling together to fend off predators), sustains themselves and maximizes their chances of living to see another day. But this affinity for physical survival does not explain why humans do certain other actions, such as watching an entertaining video, or even going as far as risking their lives in skydiving for a quick adrenaline rush.

The human brain is a complex work of evolution, and maintaining it requires more than just a healthy body. Mental survival is achieved when the brain receives the stimulation it needs to remain healthy and operate normally. You might think: “but I will not die if I do not watch that cute cat video.” You will also not die if you skip a meal. It is the sustained act of harm, intentional or otherwise, that could eventually lead to the downfall of your system. If you cut all ties with friends and the outside world, if you stop entertaining yourself with books or videos, if you remain in a constant state of boredom and dullness… Your mind will crumble, and you will drive yourself to extinction. You will have existential crises and think of ways to die. You will cease to survive.

Our existence and our prosperity are driven by survival, both physical and mental. And this instinct to survive also follows the rules of natural selection: those born without it will quickly be favored against and will not proliferate. We are survivors by nature, and everything we do is influenced by our innate need to survive.

So, watch that YouTube video, read that book you bought two years ago and left to collect dust, finish that side project you abandoned at its infancy. Go out, greet your friends, see the world. It might not seem like much, but with mental health, a little goes a long way. Stay happy, stay healthy. Survive.