Science, knowledge, experience, and information.

If you know much, can what you know help you in a life or death situation? If you prepare for contemplated possibilities will you not be caught by surprise? The true test for any individual is how effectively and in what way they adapt to their circumstances. Those who do well are ones who have managed to compensate and/or counter to a sufficient extent all of the trials and tribulations set on their path. And yet, even then the finality of their existence is typically set by something that they didn't see coming, something they couldn't handle. That leaves us with few options of what to do. The most popular of which by far is to experience as much enjoyment as possible while we are still alive. But I personally believe that by the end of our journey what really matters, what really cements the evidence of our existence is what we do, how what we do effects others, and what we leave for others to remember us by; be it material or ideological in nature. The worst fate that any individual can face is to have his or her existence expunged from history.

Like an important man once said:

“Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments.
The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine” - Nikola Tesla