64 THE SUM IMPRESSION 



make use of what will help them to the proper 

 fulfilment of their life. 



We see each individual plant and animal striving 

 to the best of his ability to adjust himself to the con- 

 ditions in which he finds himself, trying to adapt 

 himself to his surroundings — to his physical sur- 

 roundings, such as the climate and soil, and to his 

 social surroundings, consisting of his plant and 

 animal neighbours and rivals. We shall probably 

 notice, too, that he seems to be driven by some 

 inner impulse (which in its turn is a responding to 

 the impress of the totality of the individual's sur- 

 roundings) to strive to do something more than 

 merely adapt himself to his surroundings. He is 

 urged on to rise superior to them. 



So the course of the individual's life is con- 

 tinually being affected by surroundings which com- 

 pel him to adapt himself to them on pain of 

 extinction if he fails. On the other hand, he is 

 himself, in his own small way, affecting his sur- 

 roundings and causing them to adapt themselves to 

 him. Even the humblest plant takes from the sur- 

 rounding soil and air what it needs as food and 

 changes it in the process of assimilation, so that the 

 surroundings are, to a slight extent at least, changed 

 by the activity of the plant. And we already have 

 noticed how a plant's insect surroundings have to 

 adapt themselves to the plant. There is reciprocal 

 action, therefore — the surroundings forcing the 

 individual to adapt himself to them, and the indi- 

 vidual causing the surroundings to adapt themselves 

 to him. 



Here we have reached the point where, besides 



