"Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival"

Stephen Jay Gould’s remark serves as a reminder to exercise humility and perspective when considering the status or achievements of oneself or one’s group. By invoking the metaphor of looking in the mirror, Gould invites reflection on how we perceive our current circumstances and the positions we occupy. He cautions against the tendency to mistake temporary advantage what he calls “transient domination” for deep-seated, inherent worth or for assurances of future success.

To “equate transient domination with intrinsic superiority” is to misread the fleeting nature of power or dominance as evidence of being fundamentally better or more deserving. This mistake recurs throughout history, whether in the context of civilizations, cultures, species, or individuals. Dominance in a given era can be the result of particular circumstances, luck, or context-dependent advantages, not immutable qualities. The implication is that present success does not confer a permanent or universal superiority and does not spring from an intrinsic, necessary essence.

Similarly, assuming that current dominance guarantees “prospects for extended survival” ignores the unpredictability of change, adaptation, and history’s many reversals. Species that once ruled the Earth, like the dinosaurs, are now gone. Empires that seemed unassailable have faded. The arc of time introduces new challenges, environments shift, and once-dominant positions can crumble rapidly. Gould implies that survival and future success depend on adaptability, context, and contingency, not just past or present power.

His observation argues for a humbler, more nuanced understanding of status, whether biological or social. It is a call to avoid arrogance and presumption, inviting awareness that preeminence today may not exist tomorrow, and to recognize that superficial measures of dominance rarely reflect deeper, lasting truths about worth or destiny.