That organisms strive or desire to improve. Genes do not have any intent at all.
They are not jumping from species to species so they can survive. Their horizontal transfer is entirely serendipitous.
But, that attitude neatly dances around the fact that the
drive of life (not just an individual organism)
has been a relentless development towards ever more cognitive and motor skills.
Hell now that chimpanzees have taken up drinking alcohol (the foundation of western society development) -
who knows what the future holds
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/10/chimpanzees-bossou-south-eastern-guinea-habitual-drinking
:cheese: