DARWIN’S DAUGHTER

Written By Duane Nelson


2 IDEAS FROM ME

  • There is nothing more heartbreaking and challenging than the death of a child. Darwin’s grief with the death of his 10-year-old daughter, Annie, in 1851 had a profound impact on his personal life and scientific worldview. Annie’s death reinforced his conviction that compassion and altruism elevate humanity beyond its animal instincs.

  • Annie’s death motivated him to grapple with the questions of life’s origins and mechanisms more deeply, which contributed to the development of his theories “On the Origin of Secies” and “The Descent of Man.”

2 QUOTES FROM SAGES

  • “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”—Charles Darwin

  • “I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preseved, by the term Natural Selection".—Charles Darwin

1 QUESTION FOR YOU TO EXPLORE

  • How can I integrate the lessons of loss and love, as Darwin did, to deepen my empathy and understanbding of life’s impermanence?

Namaste,

Duane Nelson

Duane Nelson

Ultrajourney Insight is an Anacortes Washington-based non-profit organization providing mindfulness & well-being services designed to ignite the adventure of a lifetime. The founder, Duane Nelson, is a writer, speaker, and teacher with four decades of parenting, wilderness, & international technology leadership. His professional insights come from chemical engineering and automation leadership at Philips, Intel, and Amazon. His adventure insights flow from ultramarathons, mountaineering, canyoneering, and adventure racing in Nepal, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Mexico, British Columbia and Alberta.

https://ultrajourneyinsight.org
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