I think it has with my conflation of intelligence and life. Life is another one of those things we have trouble defining, but I think you've hinted that one of the key characteristics of life is a desire to extend it.
Once we have a thing that seems to value its own self, then we can start talking about motivations for doing so, and I think that's one of the things that can elevate life to intelligence.
If anything, I’d guess that the most primitive life forms on this planet have the strongest proclivities for survival.