Have you never been plagued by the anxiety of "What if I fall behind?"

Over 150 years ago, a man set sail with the same worries as us.

His name is Charles Darwin.

The Courage to Break the Predetermined Path: The Adventure of the Beagle

Darwin's beginnings were not particularly grand.

He suffered under his father's pressure to become a doctor, and he had even considered becoming a theologian.

However, his heart was always drawn toward the unknown world called 'nature'.

Eventually, at the age of 22, he boarded a small ship called the HMS Beagle.

A voyage that lasted for a long five years. There, instead of a comfortable life, he chose the path of seeking the 'truth' while facing rough waves and unfamiliar islands.

"Ultimately, the species that survives is not the strongest, nor the most intelligent, but the one that adapts best to change."

This statement holds great significance for us living in today's society of infinite competition.

It highlights the fact that what is more important than simply being 'number one' is the flexibility of reading the changes around us and adapting in our own way.

'Difference' is not 'wrongness' but a 'strategy for survival'

Darwin realized this while observing the finches of the Galapagos Islands.

That because the food environment differed from island to island, the shapes of the birds' beaks had changed in various ways.

Our society often forces us to become the 'standard'.

A good university, a stable job, a life trajectory similar to others... But Darwin's theory of evolution says:

Your unique 'individuality' is the most powerful weapon that will allow you to survive in a rapidly changing environment.

Like finches honing their beaks in their respective environments, we too are evolving at our own speeds and in our own shapes.

We are all connected

The greatest gift Darwin gave to humanity is a sense of 'connection.'

He reminded us that humans are not special beings that fell from the sky, but rather a branch of a giant 'tree of life' that shares roots with all living things on Earth.

This insight resonates with the sentiment of Koreans, who place great importance on a sense of community known as 'us.'

We are not rivals competing against each other, but rather colleagues adapting and living together in the harsh environment called this Earth.

Charles Darwin's *On the Origin of Species* is not merely a biology book.

It is a message of courage offered to those who fear change, and a warm anthem of encouragement that tells them, "You are not wrong; you are simply adapting a little differently."