How Survival Instinct & Comfort Zones Screwed Us Up

Human beings are wired with a survival instinct.  Some call it our reptilian brains and many are quick to reference Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as evidence. There has been a lot of more recent neuroscience to further affirm this human need for survival at all costs. This human nature, though, blurs the line between survival and comfort, leading to a false sense of security. We then take that false sense with us into the workplace and our family life.

This false sense of comfort – created by survival instinct – has cheated us and convinced us to cling to the wrong things in life. Instead of grasping at all that is possible, we are desperately clinging to mirages.

Survival Instinct and the Myth of the Comfort Zone

Because survival is our basic desire, we establish systems to set a status quo. Once we’ve done that, we gain comfort. In this metaphorical comfort zone, all expectations are easily understood and all potential outcomes are known. We have very little adaptation as part of our daily living.

Growth opportunities are therefore limited. This is true in terms of education, of work and at home. Here’s how:

Survival Instincts in the Classroom

When I was in school, I had a pretty simple system. I showed up, did and turned in my homework and didn’t cause trouble (most of the time). As long as I did even slightly well on my tests and quizzes, I found that I would get no worse than a C grade for the term. It usually resulted in B’s and A’s unless it was math related.

That was my comfort zone. That was my survival instinct to set up the system and go through the motions. My comfort zone cheated me. I got comfortable and never really applied myself. There is no telling how much better I would have done (if at all) had I actually took the opportunity to study and learn more than I actually did. My comfort zone led to a pursuit of shortcuts rather than pursuit of excellence.

Survival Instinct and Comfort Zones lead to pursuit of shortcuts instead of excellence. Share on X

Unfortunately, I paid the price when I got to college and found the status quo had shifted and my comfort zone was a myth. I had no understanding of how to study and what it took to pursue actual learning. After a terrible freshman year, I began my send year of college still as a freshman in terms of credits and eventually learned to stop seeking shortcuts and do the work. I had to work much harder the last two-and-a-half years because my mythological comfort zone leading into college meant relearning how to be a student during the first one-and-half years.

Survival Instincts in the Workplace

I once knew this person, whom we will call Zelda. She ran a small department and was masterful and implementing systems, procedures and processes for establishing and maintaining her status quo. Zelda worked extremely hard to achieve her systems of efficiency and comfort. It was quite admirable.

She was so good at her technique that she really only worked a few hours a week. Zelda’s actual work was done early in the morning and the rest of the day was spent answering calls, sending emails and gossiping with others.

However, when organizational restructuring took place, Zelda was forced to work differently that also including doing work outside her realm of expertise. It challenged her and stretched her skill set. It demand more work and less comfort.

So Zelda had to make a choice: stay with that company and work harder or go to another organization that allowed her to replicate her previous system and restore comfort. She choose the latter – and maybe she is happier for having done so. I, however, reflect on that with the thought that much was given up to do so and a lot of great opportunities were missed as a result of pursuing comfort over excellence.

Survival Instinct in the Home

The home is the place where our survival instinct can be the most destructive. The home is where the Devil does his most devious work.

We people have difficulty in relationships because we worry of how we will be perceived. It keeps us from being fully honest with one another. It persuades us to hide things from each other. It entices us to make poorly advised choices. This all leads to affairs, addictions, resentment, divorce, estranged relationships, broken homes, and more.

What God Says About Survival Instinct and Comfort Zones

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” – John 16:31-33 MSG

Life will never fit into a simple system. Things are going to happen and you will never ever – ever – be fully prepared for everything that comes your way. Because of the sin that exists in our world (Romans 5:12), our collective disobedience to God and the Devil stalking among us (I Peter 5:8), we will always face a shakeup of our status quo at any given time.

So often, our main goal with the status quo is rattled is to find whatever means we can to restore the status quo as quickly and painlessly as possible. That’s really not refining us in any way. Instead, when we encounter a shakeup of our comfort zones, we should:

Trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are told in this Proverb to listen for God’s voice in everything we do. In addition, Jesus showed His disciples how to rise above through the act of prayer. When our comfort zones are tested, let us ask the Lord to make us wise in our actions and be more prayerful through all of our moments and challenges.

Call upon God (Jeremiah 33:3). It’s impossible to overcome all of the problems of life without the empowerment of the Spirit. Jesus knew that. We should as well. The God who made earth, made it livable and lasting says: “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”

Obey God (James 1:22). Our own sinful nature is our biggest challenge and threat. We must take in the wisdom of the Word and put it into action rather than merely just reading/hearing what is written or said.

Resist the Devil (James 4:7). Invite God to work his will in you and your life. That, of course, means fully trusting in him. A strong faith is the victory that overcomes all circumstances of the world.

Purge Bad Influences and Circumstances. (I Corinthians 15:33 and Hebrews 12:1-3). This sounds so simple, but it may be the most difficult. As the first Corinthians verse reminds us, we can be fooled into thinking that bad influences are really good for us. In actuality, they are not. We need God’s wisdom and favor to help us recognize when then are present and in eliminating them. That act can be heartbreaking because it could mean severing relationships with friends, leaving jobs, or even moving from our homes.

Jesus never gave in to worry, or cynicism, self-pity, anger, criticism, false assumptions, lust, greed, fear, shame or anything of this world. As it says in Hebrews: “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”