Seriously, Why?

Long time since a post. Probably was taking my work too seriously! However, the ramblings did not stop. Had an interesting conversation, which couldn't go on for long though, on the "Survival of the Fittest". What is fitness? Physical? Mental? Ability to adapt? The last one seems to be one of the better answers. "The ability to adapt". How does that come about? I agree about the extinction of some races being attributed to their failure to come to terms with the changes in their environment. Innumerable tribals, religious communities would fall into this category. But is this exhaustive? Who decided the terms which changed their environment? Why were they able to do it? Is it always that one community or group dominates the other and sets the terms. If the other group fails to comply, it is lost forever. If it does comply, it takes a long time to gain power and ultimately tilt the balance of power into its own favor. Does it always have to be a conflict? A constant war-like situation?

Mumbai blasts, killings in West Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Phillipines, .. the list is endless. All this at a macro level. Corporates fighting with each other for sales. Who loses? The planet. Its resources get depleted! Fights over petty issues in colleges, streets. Why? Just to dominate? Because the "fittest" survives?! Adam Smith believed in the power of the invisible hand. He said that a free market, if left to itself, will always find the optimum. But, optimum for whom? For the customer and the supplier. What about the planet? Nobody cares! It is probably (for, I am not sure) with this philosophy that someone said that "Government regulation is essential". Yet, the government itself is a biased collection of people, representing some specific interests. WTO talks failed coz the Bush administration is being funded by the American Sugar Lobby. Peace doesn't prevail in West Asia coz of the Oil Lobby and the Jewish Lobby.

The free market is clearly not the best thing for the world, though it is the best in short term, for every resident of this world. But isn't our regulation another extension of the free market?! Food for thought!

I know I have digressed a lot here, but what can I do? I haven't been able to control my thoughts yet! But why do I take my thoughts so seriously? Why do I take myself so seriously? Why do I take everything around me so seriously? What is my purpose? What is the objective of my life? What is the objective of anyone's life, for that matter? I have no answers, and I'm still looking for a way to find it. But then, why should I care to find these answers!?