Salmon or Blackbird - Nature's call?

Business talk is peppered with definitions that more resemble nature than anything else:

"Survival of the Fittest"
"Dog eat Dog"
"Bear or Bull Market"

Last night I was watching a Nature Program on TV (Nature of Britain - presented by Alan Titchmarch). One of the items shown was that always spectacular site of salmons swimming, jumping, struggling up stream.

4 years afters they are spawn and swim out to the open spacious deep sees or oceans the salmon returns to its birth grounds to reproduce. Swimming up river, jumping strong currents and rapids and many die trying. The ultimate reward of making it back to the little stream their own life began is to mate and die.

As I said, always a grandiose spectacle to watch but it left me with a question. Why? In this situation has Nature forgotten its own adaptability? Am I missing something here?

I mean, the blackbird was mainly a wood/forest bird only 50 years ago before adapting to 'city-life' - where survival-rates are better. Numbers of blackbird are increasing.

Salmon is more and more 'thwarted' - by 'human' intervention of for instance building dams, barriers and flood-defences - in its struggle to swim back to the only place they mate and die. The numbers of Salmon is decreasing.

In business it is said that in order to survive and/or grow you have to adapt, be able to change and embrace the most practical way. See and take opportunities to create a better future, to increase the chance of survival.

Would you rather be like the Salmon, 'sticking' to the only known way, perhaps even being applauded for your spectacular efforts, but dying nonetheless or would you adapt to the changing (business) environment like the Blackbird and keep singing your lovely songs?

Just some thoughts from a wondering ponderer.

p.s. Steve, perhaps the ponderings above will give you a different kind of cigar on change? ;-)

Comments

[Lisa Gates]

Nice question to ponder, Karin. Sorry, but I really got hooked :-) by the Salmon. I think the best of us are very much like this lovely fish.

I really enjoy the instinctual dedication of the salmon, and I admire his willingness (?) to die. He's very transparent really. And after all, the salmon knows what he values, and adapts according to the river's shifts in course. He adapts according to nature's laws.

Are we doing that?

[Steve Roesler]

Karin,

Can't comment just now...water much too rough...trying to figure out how to forget about mating...

[Karin H.]

Hi Lisa, Steve

Steve, you're not supposed to forget about mating ;-) - or about instinct and values Lisa - you, we should 'concentrate' on adapting to changes while keeping in line with our values (and how much of our values are instinctive?)

Dying (be it the Salmon or a business) because sticking relentlessly with dedication to 'old' ways isn't IMHO 'nature's way' - we all be living in tree huts, or transporting harvest by hand - or horse and cart. We, in nature's way need to evolve.

Coming back to the Salmon, it needs fresh water to mate - is it only in the stream far up the river, through currents, rapids and barriers the Salmon could find mating and spawning grounds?

Just pondering along ;-) Thanks for your own ponderings

Karin H.