In the long history of humankind (and animalkind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.

Survival, the quote suggests, owes less to raw strength than to getting along and adapting: the creatures and communities that last are those that work together and think on their feet. Success is pictured as a matter of teamwork and flexibility rather than a solo contest. That fits the evolutionary outlook in which fitness means fitting a changing environment, not simply being the biggest or fiercest.

A word on attribution: the line is widely credited to Darwin, but I know of no place in his writings where it appears, and its casual modern phrasing suggests a paraphrase or invention. Still, it echoes something he did argue in The Descent of Man, that groups whose members cooperate and sympathize with one another tend to do better than groups of selfish individuals. "Survival of the fittest," often read as pure competition, was Herbert Spencer's phrase.

Imagine starting at a workplace where the project suddenly changes direction. Instead of clinging to the old plan or guarding your own turf, you could ask colleagues what they need, share what you know, and try a rough new approach, adjusting as you learn.