Peacocks have an incredibly unique and intriguing mate selection process. This process of seduction is known as “Lekking,” after the Swedish word for play.
During breeding, males gather in Leks, where they cluster together and mark out their territories. Once their territory is marked, the males wait for the females to arrive.
The female peacock is incredibly selective. She spends several days contemplating the goods on offer, with the ultimate goal being to select the best male — the one with the longest and most ornate tail.
At the lek, one or a few males achieve most of the matings. A single male may perform half of all matings at one lek.
Interestingly, female peacocks display a great degree of choosiness, yet choice matters the least within the species — otherwise known as the Lek Paradox. If all females choose to mate with the same few males, then there will be much less genetic variety in the next generation. Over time, there is no variety left to choose from, making it impossible to sustain any meaningful choice.
Each female is on a treadmill. They dare not jump off, as it potentially jeopardizes the fate of their offspring. They are constantly running — by being so selective — yet staying in the same place, having no variety to select from.
So what does this have to do with human beings?
We too, like the female peacock, have been socialized to always strive for better.
A better job. A better salary. A better title. A better house. A better car. A better school.
Yet we run ever faster toward the finish line of “better” only to get there and realize that it is merely the start of the next race.
The solution is to realize that “better” is, in fact, a myth. You don’t have to run in the race. You can dare to jump off the treadmill, recognizing that it is not a race at all.
Instead, it’s about doing things that you care about. Things that make an impact. The house you can afford. The car that merely gets you from point A to point B. The school that is in your best interest.
Don’t end up like the female peacock.