Proxy Fight

Biological Parallel

Male elephant seals stage biological proxy fights: rather than direct combat (high injury risk), challenger males roar continuously for hours while harem females 'vote with their presence'—staying with the incumbent or moving toward the challenger. A male who loses 60% of his harem accepts defeat without fighting, conserving energy for future attempts. This proxy mechanism reduces violence while still enabling leadership transitions based on demonstrated quality (roar depth signals size and fighting ability). Corporate proxy fights work identically: shareholders vote with shares instead of bodies, enabling control transitions without the destruction of literal battle.