zlacker

Those statements do not contradict each other. Life forms consume and reproduce as much as they can, and they also live in cooperation and symbiosis. The latter can often be the most effective strategy to consume and reproduce as much as one wants.

>>golerg+(OP)
yes, agree

the issue then, is how to decide what "as much as we can" even means; if we do "as much as we can" but this kills us, then it will have turned out that we indeed could not do that much

>>golerg+(OP)
"That's what all life forms do — consume everything they can and reproduce as much as they can"

Well, if you take this statement literal, then I think they do contradict each other - see my cancer example. But in the way you apparently meant it, then no, there is no contradiction.