ADAPTING AND LEARNING

ADAPTING: Species that are able to adapt to changes in their environment are at a greater advantage in the quest for survival in an environment where resources and survival elements are limited. The ability of an animal to adapt and adjust to changes in its natural habitat will see it rise above its contemporaries or peers. The surviving animal then becomes a leader in its pack; top of its order or class. Adapting is a learning process that needs and takes resources from the adapting entity (Person, Animal or thing). If these needed resources for adapting are not enough, the adapting entity may not cross the threshold of survival. This means that the entity in question may not be able to stay above the waters dues to the lack of needed resources that can take it above “the storm”. The threshold may vary from entity to entity, but the parameters and tools necessary are very similar. Adaptation is an Active—Process in Learning that requires: Physical, Mental, Social, Psychological, Emotional, Spiritual and Physiological resources in order to adjust and fit into the next phase or stage in life.

People who are able to adapt to changes and improvements in their environments (Physical, Social, Professional etc. environments) have a greater chance of survival as well as a chance to move up the “food chain”. Adapting is a learning process, and the ability of a person to adapt to changes or improvements in his/her environment shows the ones ability to learn. The adapting ability is a learning ability indicator, as one of the ways to show that a person has learnt something new or that learning has taken place is a change in behavior or behavioural change. This behavioural change may rise from something new which has been assimilated or learnt. This change could be evident in the way the person talks, the type of words used, the way of dressing, the type of clothes put on, the way and manner of approaching people, friends and company kept etc.

If we break up the word ADAPT, we will have two sets of words -

AD and APT. From the Dictionary the word “AD” means to advertise, to show, announce, to broadcast. The word “APT” is the short form of “Aptitude” which means the “potential to acquire skill” or “quickness to learning; quickness and ease in learning”. Bringing them both together, AD-APT will mean to “showcase/advertise/broadcast or announce one’s quickness and ease in learning”. So when a chameleon changes the colour of its skin, it is merely showcasing its ability and quickness to learning about its environment. This is a biological behavioural change. So for a human being, it is putting to effect or use what has been acquired or learnt with the eyes, ears, nose, hands etc. A few years ago, the way I drove on motorways was no different from how the drivers of the popular yellow and black buses in Lagos did. But I soon thought of taking care of cars the way I treated myself and other things that I owned. From this little knowledge I had, I applied it to taking care of vehicles, and soon understood better that cars also have feelings. If you take care of them well, they would take care of you well and not disgrace or embarrass you. I was not thought how to take care of cars, but from the knowledge I had in taking care of myself, people and inanimate objects, I adapted it to taking care of cars. Today that knowledge has paid off greatly. When I have a headache I know what and what I need to do for myself to get better. Same goes for a car, when it shows signs of a ‘headache’, I know that I need to take care of it immediately if I do not want it to degenerate into something worse. Every leader needs to understand that every knowledge S/He has is wasted as it can in one way or the other be adapted into different things to produce good results. Doing something over and again the same way may not produce any different results but if knowledge is adapted into it in one way or the other, there will be a difference if it is done the right way.