NO COUNTRY FOR THE AVERAGE MAN

Would you marry someone if they said that they had nothing exceptionally nice about them? Would you buy a product that says it wont do much for your skin, probably just make it average? Would you watch a show that claims that its TRP are just OK- not skyrocketing?

Im guessing not.

And marketing companies make a fortune out of this very fact of human psychology. They cleverly sell their product/people to make you believe that they are the best for you. And if they are all so exceptionally good then they are obviously worth it. 

Well don't feel duped.We love anything that is gift wrapped to make it pretty- compliments, criticism, spouses, friends, facebook pics, latest books, TV shows....even our hospitals nowadays have to be pretty first, for Gods sake!!

Feeling vain suddenly? Shallow? 

Dont!!

Its not your fault.

If liking only the best was vain, then Mother Nature (and please spare me from thy wrath) is the vainest of us all. When Darwin landed on the Galapogas, we learnt a hard fact of nature- it doesnt care about the weak or average. Only those survive who are fittest for that circumstance. Anything a percent below the best, and Nature will spit you off this face of earth without any condolence message. Tough love!

If you are not the best, you dont get any empathy from Nature. Evolution is a guilt-free elimination mechanism reserved only for the fittest. This context of fittest could be in terms of physical attributes, height, weight, skin color, sturdiness or the sweet melody of the cooing you use in your mating call- whatever you do ; it better be the best or your species will see the end of the tunnel soon (soon ie in terms of earth years).

And it is this incessant survival of the fittest that our genes are programmed for. We are genetically programmed to choose only the best and not an ounce below. And this behaviour, meant for evolution and mate selection, has trickled into our socio-economical sphere of life. Its too hardwired in our genes to be allocated only to one sphere, after all!

"Eye-ball grabbing" was a concept started in marketing that is now trickling into our everyday life courtesy Facebook. All our pics have to be the prettiest. All our travels have to be to the exotic locations which allow photo opportunities to be posted on FB. All our anniversaries and birthdays have to be full of love and hugs and kisses. Even going into the labour room should end up into the perfect pic.

Putting our best foot forward or marketing our life in a grand way is something intrinsic to our survival. And its not only us whose worth in life is directly proportional to the number of likes on our profile pic. Everywhere you see in the Natural world, you see an insane driving force to "like me".

Whether its the Red Knot birds ritual of "becoming prettier" to attract females or the Hyenas violent show of aggression to impress prospective mates; we all are prey to the "like me coz im better" philosophy. By hook or crook we want our mates to believe that they have landed the "fittest" mate that evolution will favor in a chance of any likely event in the future. We want our mates to believe that our progeny will benefit from our genes because we offer them the best permutation of features possible.

(The Red Knot male during non breeding season (on left) changes its plumage to look attractive during breeding season (on the right) to attract females. Pic courtesy: Cornell deppt of ornithology)

Though animals make all this effort for the sole goal of survival and mating; we of course have extrapolated it to suit our more complex social make-up. (And also the fact that animals dont have access to FB helps to keep their behaviour restricted!!)

However the underlying genetic intent that governs us all is the same- Be and choose only the fittest or else you might vanish from the face of this earth.

This horrible end that our genes are only too well aware of makes us do everything in our capacity to project the "fittest" image. Hence, we market ourselves in the best packing. And in return, we find ourselves drawn to that which promises a "happily ever after".

And no, it doesnt make you a horrible person. Like I always say, " We are just biochemical entities that our genes  use to propagate themselves. We are just a tool of evolution. Mere slaves to our master!"

So go right ahead and be guilt-free to post that image that Instagram has put so many cool filters on that it doesnt look anything like you in real life but is surely going to get you a hundred likes on day 1 from people you havent met in more than a decade!

It all will be worth it in the long run of evolution!