Charles Darwin’s legacy, Survival of The Fittest, is perhaps the most recognisable maxim of Science. It’s a pithy statement that captures the essence of evolutionary biology. Certain traits and behaviours are suitable for certain environments and conditions. The more suited the trait and behaviours to the surroundings, the likelier they are to survive and be passed down to the next generation.
Darwin made this observation while carrying a huge blind spot. At times he couldn’t even interpret his own data. He had no appreciation of genetics and genetic mutations - medicine was yet to arrive at this milestone - yet his formulation of natural selection and its implications remain valid to this day. I just lied. To be totally accurate, medicine had arrived at this milestone via Gregor Mendel’s work on genetic inheritance published 2 years prior to On the Origin of Species, but Darwin missed it at the time, and so did the rest of the Scientific community. The father of genetics didn’t get his roses until much later when he had passed. Darwin’s theory was therefore necessarily incomplete.
In continental America, there exists a species of snake called the coral snake. It is a venomous multicoloured bastard that bites and chews to deliver its cobra-relative poison into the body of its poor victims. Coral snake venom, à la Covid, causes respiratory failure if not treated. This is an example of a trait that supports survival. If you’re sufficiently dangerous, nobody wants to mess with you. The Mexican milk snake caught on to this reality and employs a mimicry device. It’s a copycat. The milk snake looks exactly like the dangerous coral snake, except it is not even half as dangerous. It possesses no venom. You could essentially keep it as a pet. The milk snake only mimics the appearance of the deadly coral but is a totally different animal in all other respects. In case you’re wondering if copycats survive in nature, they do. Predators often mistake a milk snake for the real thing and avoid engagement for fear of its lethal bite. The embodiment of fake it ’til you make it.
Coral Snake (will kill you) Mexican milk snake (pet)
Brethren, I ask thee, ARE YOU THE REAL THING?
Many accomplished (and yet to accomplish) individuals ask themselves a version of the heading question time and again. We muse on our capacity and our abilities. We ask ourselves how much of our past achievements were due to our decision making skills and execution and how much can be attributed to just dumb luck. Can you do it again? These thoughts disproportionately affect high-achievers. Feelings of inadequacy among the elite have been proven to be pervasive. So pervasive in fact that psychologists have a name for the phenomenon, Impostor Syndrome.
Impostor syndrome is as heinous as it reads. It is feeling like a fraud even when you have vast amounts of evidence that suggests otherwise. Second-guessing decisions and even changing your opinion on something is not an indication of incompetence. Confidence, charm and charisma can be misconstrued as competence. An overt display of confidence does not mean anything. If you were to engage your overly charismatic colleague, you may soon find that there is little substance, if any, backing that bravado. I am reluctant to give examples of confident fools, lest I appear vulgar, but some of the most stupid things I ever heard were uttered with hubris of biblical proportions. Being anxious or doubtful about a course of action does not make one a fraud.
Frauds do exist, however. They abound in fact. Remember Elizabeth Holmes? She was supposed to be the next “Steve Jobs.” She built a $10 Billion company on a lie. Her case is still in court. There are many instances where experts identify the next, “insert once in a lifetime talent here,” only to end up with egg on their faces. Nani was the next Ronaldo. Tyra Banks was the next Oprah. Desiigner was the next Future. And on it goes. Appearances can be convincing as we have already established. A successful model will be replicated. It is a law of nature.
“Everyone is the guy, until the guy walks in” - Kano
How can we tell the real from the fake then? It’s a complicated question to answer. Perhaps our snake pal can clue us in on how to find a solution for this problem. Coral snakes can distinguish between an encounter with a fellow coral or an encounter with one of its many mimics. They literally eat the mimics. This is interesting because it kind of confirms the timeless Hip Hop adage, “real recognise real.” The real thing can pick out a fake. A foolproof way to tell when you’re dealing with an impostor is to make sure that you’re not one yourself.
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