To continue on the theme from yesterdays blog where we looked at biology and relationships such as parasitism and amensalism, and how these types of relationships play out in human affairs, today we will consider the ‘isness’ of nature and species differentiation specifically addressing the nature of the predator.

Predators in nature don’t do disguise. They are what they are, and you get what you get. A lion, a cheetah, a crocodile, a wolf….they stalk, hunt and kill their pray. And following the kill they eat.

Predation is the biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey. (Alive or dead)

In human and corporate affairs, the predator is rarely out in the open about it’s ‘isness’. You may not know you have been stalked by a predator until you are bleeding out. Quite often the human shark is hiding in a cute panda suit, biding its time to be sure to extract the maximum bleed.

We rarely recognise the act of predation as it is being perpetrated. Think…our banking system, our advertising and marketing system, the ‘story’ of what a ‘successful’ life is….overpriced education, buy the house, car and goodies and slave away for a lifetime just to keep the payments going..if that is not a system of predation then please tell me what it is…because you are not the winner in this equation…

Nature clearly defines the predator. And the animals on whom they prey have had to learn to adapt their speed, attention, group protection dynamics, and other resources so as to avoid becoming prey.

Significantly, the predator only kills what it needs to eat at that time as nature is always consummately efficient.

Not so in human affairs.

Not knowing clearly who the predator is has resulted in many people building a life around distrust and massive forms of protection, including weapons, legal documents, insurance, enclosures….a whole industry depends on the acts of the predator and the illusion of protection. Governments thrive on a system of predator and prey. (Generally the citizens are the prey…that would be you and me..) The government of the USA needs to keep the kill and fear rate up in order to maintain the illusion of a healthy GDP.

The human and corporate predator is never satisfied to only kill what they need…they thrive on having more, and more and more…far more than they could ever need in 10 or 100 lifetimes.

Having been on the receiving end of a predator more than once in my life my choice is to be smart, but not to live in the state of fear that is the very ecology that the predator relies on in order to thrive. I have literally learned to kill, and I would if someone chose to attack me or my family with intent to harm. But in the act of both knowing I would and can, it is unlikely that I would be prey to violence.

The harder part is to not be prey to the subtle, the covert. The people who bamboozle you with specifically considered and unique-to-you shiny things, who seek out your Achilles heal with shafty intent, and in a moment of spell casting, bleed you out.

We can love and admire the wolf and the lion for being so totally and transparently what they are.

Human predators with their covert intent…and entirely different strategy required.

Photo credit: Tambako The Jaguar via Compfight