No. 207 · Strategy · Biology
Natural Selection
The environment decides what thrives, and when it changes, so do the winners.
In the Almanac
“The peppered moth”, 1848–1950s · “Fujifilm”, 2007
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacQuestions
What is Natural Selection?
Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits suited to their environment survive and reproduce more, passing those traits on. Fitness is always relative: Britain's peppered moths turned dark when soot blackened the trees, then pale again when the air was cleaned.
How do you use Natural Selection?
Ask what your environment is rewarding right now. Audit your skills yearly, test several money habits and keep the ones that survive, and design surroundings where good habits fit. Selection is blind and slow, but you can adapt before the pressure arrives.
When does Natural Selection matter?
Natural Selection is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “Staying ahead of change”, alongside Creative Destruction, Cultural Evolution and Disruptive Innovations.
What is an example of Natural Selection?
Two stories show it at work: The peppered moth (1848–1950s) and Fujifilm (2007). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Natural Selection?
Survival of the Fittest, Red Queen Effect and Niches. Natural Selection itself comes from biology.