Richard Dawkins
Our bodies are throwaway survival machines built by genes whose "selfishness" lies in how effectively they replicate. Seeing life this way changes how we understand why living things behave as they do.
The gene is the fundamental unit of evolutionary selection, persisting through generations while the individual organisms that carry them inevitably die.
Organisms are constructed as temporary survival machines programmed by genes to navigate the environment and ensure the successful replication of that genetic material.
Behaviors that appear selfless or altruistic are often genetically selfish strategies designed to protect shared DNA in relatives, a concept known as kin selection.