Nature is extremely conservative.

The human DNA replication process, for example, results in one error for every ten billion base pairs. The bible, in comparison, has only 3,116,480 characters. Copying the text with 100% accuracy would be easy in contrast to the scale we are discussing.

DNA replication is conservative because most mutations result in an affect to the detriment of the organism. Un-mutated DNA has potentially millions of years of challenged evolution proving their value. If most mutations resulted in successful and adaptive biochemistry, life would have reinforced more opportunities for mutations; which it does not.

Despite the odds of failure, it is important to remember life also exists because of DNA mutations that did yield successful outcomes so they can’t be wholly disregarded.

However, due to the odds, investing should be the approached with the same mindset as nature. Our focus should be to scrutinize new approaches and practice conservative principals first. Small mutations will inevitably occur on their own as we read, experience and learn so we should not actively seek out additional deviations. We likely integrate small changes naturally, and subconsciously without effort overtime so we should strive to continuously revert back to a foundation.

Any event like COVID-19, the 1987 flash crash and the Great 2009 Financial Crisis inevitably will alter the financial landscape. So we should be prepared for change. But we must be reflective and mindful of great example nature has laid before us: conservative approaches work; and change is inevitable.

Consensus driven approaches to knowledge, including peer reviewed journals keep civilization moving forward building upon the great foundation, conservatively. However, it is necessary to have new ideas and outside-the-box thinkers to find new approaches, not as the base, but from a small percentage of social rebels, or creative personalities.

History is replete with examples of the suffering artists, and hopeful visionaries as nature is filled with failed genetic mutations. We are generally not kind to perspectives that challenge the norm and fail to shift the momentum of social consensus. This is why the average person generally conforms without question.

In Native American cultures they developed a healthy way to integrate outside perspectives by practicing a rite-of-passage known as a vision quest. Young males were sent off into the wilderness alone to fast and spend time contemplating their meaning and purpose in life before they returned and were re-united with the tribe to share a new perspective.

We are as a society experiencing a mass vision quest. Once we all return and are re-united there will be a flood of change agents with new found purpose and meaning, but we must challenge and remain conservative in our approach.

Humans are natures great change agent, much to our own detriment. With how fast technology has advanced and information flows, Gen X, Millennial’s and Gen Z will be the most emotionally impacted as they are riding the cusp of change in their prime and formative years, but we should all learn to practice a conservative approach to change otherwise we risk losing the foundation and having no purpose at all.

“Woah, Woah, Woah, Woah Miss Lippy the part of the story I don’t like is the boy gave up looking for happy after an hour. He didn’t put posters up or anything. He just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy’s gotta think. You gotta pet. You gotta responsibility. If your dog gets lost, you don’t look for an hour and call it quits. You get your a#* out there and you find that f*&#ing dog!”

-Billy Madison