Adaptation, Capacity and Sanity In the Early Mornng

I started thinking the other morning about adaptation.  The sense in which I used the term was in adapting to changed circumstances, especially as it relates to the changes in a being or its ways and means of existence under the conditions of its environment or surroundings   I believe that the meaning must be broader than that to encompass changes in that being's capacity for engagement with its surroundings.(Again, read enough a certain kind of material and you begin to sound like one of them--in this case scientists--biology, physiology and psychology, to name a few).

Much of what you find when you begin digging deeper is related to biology and physiology and evolution in a species.   My interest doesn't really extend that far.  I am thinking of the day-to-day effort that is required of us and of building or enhancing the capacity to make that effort.  It seems to require a certain amount of determination, assistance from others, and ability to adapt.  There is perhaps a certain bit of biology taking place when there is some alteration in an organism.  The "alteration" in the  structure or function of an organism or any of its parts says to me that adaptation is occurring.  Adaptation  is adding capacity and/or changing the surroundings or even the being itself.  (Whoa, that one is sort of murky).   But yes, it's about capacity to see opportunity where one once saw only barriers or limitations.

That capacity to adapt introduces the freedom to change when opportunity arrives.  This is true of limits, changes or lost function that one might otherwise see as a narrowing of freedom, but with the capacity to adapt comes the freedom to change that outlook.  This morning I noticed a change in my ability to put a sock on my right foot.  I simply couldn't reach far  enough to pull the sock over my smallest toes and maintain my grip on the sock to let me pull it on.  Adaptation has allowed me to perform this task in two steps.  First, I reach down and pull that sock over as many toes as  I can with my hands on the medial side of the foot, then I reach around with right hand from the lateral side of my foot. grasping the sock and pulling it over any remaining uncovered toes and the rest of my foot (the sole and heel of my foot).  You see, adaptation is a matter of using the capacity to change what you are doing, changing the result, and that is the definition of sanity. (Remember, as Einstein put it, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  Thus, doing it differently to achieve the desired result is sanity itself.