Are You an Evolutionary Agent?

A beacon of clarity during the End of the Familiar (2025-2030)

Biological Evolutionary Agents

In biology, an Evolutionary Agent (EA) refers to any living organism or system that actively influences its own survival and evolution by interacting with and responding to its environment. Unlike passive entities, Evolutionary Agents are goal-directed—they make decisions, adapt, and modify their behavior or structures to persist and thrive.

Human Evolutionary Agents

When referring to humans within the living system of the planet, Evolutionary Agents are individuals or groups with the capacity to make goal-directed changes to themselves and their environment in response to shifting circumstances. These agents actively participate in shaping ecological, economic, and social processes, not merely adapting to their surroundings but also influencing them. This concept aligns with the biological definition of agency, which describes organisms as systems capable of regulating their structures and activities to persist and function in dynamic environments.

But to truly understand the role of an Evolutionary Agent, we must also consider the concept of imaginal discs. In a caterpillar, imaginal discs are clusters of undifferentiated cells, dormant and seemingly insignificant. Yet, within those tiny structures lies the potential for the butterfly—a completely different form of existence. These cells are what biologists call pluripotent, which means they can develop into any of the tissues or organs of the adult insect.

What this means is that Evolutionary Agents can emerge from any sector of society. These versatile individuals possess the potential to contribute significantly to the evolution of human systems and ecosystems. They may be leaders or public figures, but equally, they can be individuals who have not traditionally held prominent roles in the “Business as Usual” paradigm—a government employee, a community volunteer, the unemployed, or someone working behind the scenes. What defines them is not their current status but their capacity to adapt, innovate, and influence positive change in their environments. Just as the imaginal discs give rise to the diverse structures of the butterfly, human EAs can transform and shape the future of their communities and the planet, regardless of their background or previous influence. In fact, very often those least “successful” in the current paradigm are most successful in the emerging paradigm. Here, success is the ability to thrive and reproduce within one’s environment while contributing to the resilience and diversity of the ecosystem. In this context, true success is achieved when an organism’s survival and prosperity are intertwined with the well-being of its surroundings, creating an environment where all life thrives.

The Unshakeable Worldview of EAs

Since the C19-crisis of the early 20’s, it has become popular to question the dominant materialist paradigm, sensing its fundamental flaws and societal costs. Evolutionary Agents, however, take this questioning a step further. They possess a deep, unwavering conviction of an emerging system that transcends the limitations the current. It is from a bedrock of evolutionary conviction that they find the courage to speak their truth, regardless of the consequences, laying the groundwork for challenging the narratives that lead to—what Mattias Desmet calls—mass formation. Mass formation is noticeably irrational and extreme societal behaviors that typically appear during the final phase of an empire. We received a small example of mass formation during C19. The behavior comes as a result of highly effective forms of manipulation, which lead large numbers of people to fixate on a narrative, even an absurd one.

The Evolutionary Agent, however, recognizes this process. They maintain their grounded principles, articulate truth despite opposition, and quietly build alternatives—rooted in connection and consciousness—in which all life thrives. They embrace the opportunity for evolution of their own consciousness that arises when the world dehumanizes, embodying resilience and serving as a beacon of clarity. They understand that the Evolutionary Impulse—the innate organizing principle of all living systems—is driving us toward Mycelial Consciousness.

In short, an Evolutionary Agent is a guardian of coherence, a force for positive change in a world desperately in need of both. If you’ve read this far, the Evolutionary Agents Substack is for you.

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References

• Organisms as Agents of Evolution: https://www.templeton.org/news/organisms-as-agents-of-evolution-new-research-review

• Agency and Adaptation: https://faculty.washington.edu/easmith/Agency&adaptation-ARA2013.pdf

• Deep dive: https://bit.ly/EvAgents

This entry is part of our Evolutionary Agents Glossary.