Although life came into existence because this is a planet of water, water is curiously not always necessarily an ally of life activity. Water acts to greatly inhibit synthesis of the proteins and nucleic acids that represent the basic molecules of life. Water is a paradoxical entity, in that it is able to support life activity precisely because it is detrimental to it, and the existence of life is founded on the tension between itself and water. Recognizing this leads to an understanding of the basic principles of life's strategy.