This book puts forward the belief that the lessons of quantum physics applied to physiology can – and should – be extended to more fully address human life and its purpose in general. Seeking monetary rewards and power is sometimes intoxicating and becomes a driving force in many people’s lives. Some of it is driven by understandable intentions such as a need for safety and security. However, as we have seen in the case of quantum metabolism versus its classical counterpart, a better outcome can be achieved by synchronization of the activities of the parts integrated into an organismic whole rather than by independent operation of the parts. This may be extrapolated to societies of individuals, whether ants or human beings. As parts of a greater whole, these kinds of connections not only lead to better outcomes for individuals and for communities or even society at large, but in my view, also provide a greater purpose in life.
A basic human trait of self-interest is not inherently wrong but it can be pathological if it ignores the needs and interests of the host (or superorganism), the neighborhood, the state, the country – essentially the “global village.” Being individuals does not necessarily stand in contradiction to being productive members of our society. I believe we can be both successful as individuals and as members of our society wishing to leave a legacy for future generations. The current political turmoil in the United States of America and in the West in general appears to stem from a seemingly irreconcilable contradiction between nationalism and globalism (or individualism and collectivism). What I propose may sound like a “squaring of the circle” but it reflects consideration for both the parts and the whole. We need to be self-interested in order to survive, but we also must realize that nurturing our society at all levels is a survival strategy because both extremes lead to defeat in the long run. Being extremely individualistic destroys the society that gave us the opportunity to thrive as individuals. Being extremely altruistic destroys the genetically hard-wired tendencies to succeed and advance. Without the latter, our society will not succeed over time. Evolution has taught us that a successful strategy for winning must be a compromise.