Ants are fascinating. It’s hard to imagine how creatures with such a wee brain can manage such a complex social network, but manage they do. Ant tribes perform tasks such as nest building, navigation, foraging, food storage, tending the young, garbage collection, and on occasion, war.
Contrary to popular belief, ants aren’t workaholics. After lugging a tidbit to the nest, ants curl up and take a break. Another myth is that ants are ruled by a caste system. Not so. Each ant makes its own choice about what to do based on clues it gets from its environment; either its nest mates, the weather, or contacts with ants from other tribes. Ants just seem to know what to do and change jobs as needed.
Ants get things done by accident, by experimenting with and constantly testing their surroundings to see what there is to eat, and who’s trying to get at it. Amazingly, ants organize and accomplish their work without a boss. No ant has power over another. Who, then, leads the tribe? Her name is Survival.
What can ants teach you about strengthening your tribe?
More answers in these books:
Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration (Paperback)
by Bert Hölldobler
Ants at Work: How an Insect Society is Organized (Paperback)
by Deborah M. Gordon
Bonnie Larner, Finder of Possibilities, barbermartin.com
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