Even within a species, there is a tendency for individuals to specialize. Individuals are special. It even showed up in early human culture, but it’s especially evident in ants. Where the nurses are small and numerous, the warriors are large and fewer, and the foragers are middle sized and very efficient in their metabolisms. The longest lived of their kind, short of the queens.
In ancient tribal culture, there were “chiefs” among humans. Sometimes only one when the people knew very little variation in their living conditions, but often more than one. The reason the people had chiefs was they recognized the chiefs ability to understand and do what the people needed done in order for them all to survive.
Surviving of the fittest? Surviving of the tribe through recognition of the fittest, just as it is in herds. Survival of the herd through recognition of the fittest.
But to elaborate further, in those tribes that had more complicated needs, they might have two or more chiefs. The trade chief would be the one who showed an understanding of communications and foreigners. The peace chief would be the one who understood their own people and how to help them work harmoniously. The war chief would understand their peoples defences and what was at risk when the people were threatened, and the shaman would show an understanding of the “hidden things” in the world of the people. Each would be given priority in what they have shown strength in. The trade chief was given responsibility for the trade goods. The peace chief was given responsibility of the harvest. The war chief was given responsibility for the tribe territory. They, in a sense, “owned” these things. But they owned these things for the people first, and they themselves numbered among the people. They were part of the herd. But in the “thinking” humans ignorance eventually set in. As things got easier and easier for humans as a species, they lost sight of the power of the people and became in love with their personal power.
You might think that the war chief was the strongest warrior. In fact, the war chief was the one with an understanding of the peoples weapons, and the strongest sense of vigilance. The war chief was the one who was most concerned with knowing when to fight and why. Without the warriors, the war chief had no real power, but was able to keep their place among the warriors because they could anticipate aggression from their followers. They would often even channel the aggression before it become restlessness leading to rebellion, and we have done that ever since. They would have combat games, not usually to the death, but with the rise of cities and boredom then they did become to the death as humans become very jaded with each others company.
But, perhaps, I have digressed too much into the history. The structure of humanity has not changed, just their means to whatever ends they choose. But there are still those who are “alphas”. The enduring alphas are those who find ways to make themselves valuable to the people. Other leaders tend to be much more temporary. They have their “fifteen minutes of fame” and then are not only forgotten, but often ridiculed. Because though they do not know it, the people hold the power.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~