Animals are not forceful. Plants are not forceful. Why? Because, while the selfish gene is quite forceful, the animals surrender to the selfish gene… and go “with” it.
Humans are animals with a mind… and the mind is forceful. More forceful than the selfish gene…
The selfish gene is clear on what it wants: it wants to increase itself in the gene pool. That is all it is interested in. It negotiates with nature, with other species, with toxins, with members of the same species continually to lead to evolutionary stable strategies…. ess in short. It adapts or it dies. The more adaptable, the more aware the gene and the vehicle, the more successful the gene is in propagating itself, and it thrives. It cannot