Verses in the Book of Life

Self vs. Personality
Who we are is not who we think we are. When we say "I am this" and "I am that" we are speaking about the ego. The true selfhood that we are born with is quickly buried under layers of ego centered personality that is created by the self.
This process is a reaction to the everyday interpersonal communication with that which is not the self. Parents, siblings, physical environment and social class are some of the things that need to be dealt with by the emerging individual. Using the true self is a template, each new exposure to these things is dealt with by adding personality fragments to ourselves, piece by piece.
Over the years, these pieces, through personal identification, become more and more integrated into ourselves until we start to believe that we are what in fact we aren't. Although this process is normal and not bad in itself, the subtle identification that can happen is. Instead of this hodgepodge of personality fragments serving as a shield for the self under the self's control, they start to ignore the self completely and take on a life of their own. Unless this process and its result are seen for what they are, any higher spiritual integration is impossible.
Natures survival priorities govern this ego formation process and an individual who wants to live at a normal level of consciousness need not concern themselves with the end result unless negative influences have caused the process to go awry.

Nature's Way
Nature governs at the species level, with all individual members following the rules of the species that it belongs to. For instance, lions do what nature wants them to do which includes what to eat, how they will act and how many will exist within a particular environment.
They have no freedom to decide to frolic with the zebras or eat grass. It isn't an option. As far as their population is concerned, there will be a sharply defined ratio of lions to prey animals. Whatever this ratio is for a particular species, it will be strictly adhered to, with some species eating their own young to keep the ratio precise.
Humans are the only animals who have the ability to break nature's rules, which they do whenever it suits them. Whether this ability is in our long term best interest is questionable. Perhaps the rise in infertility among humans is nature trying to do it’s job, in spite of our attempts to thwart her at every turn.