This will be the part one of two part post about monkeys. This one will be dedicated to a cage, a banana, some electricity and three groups of monkeys. Actually they are apes, but monkey sounds much better.
Once upon a time there was this cage and the first group of monkeys and a banana on the top of the stairs in the cage. What our little monkeys are about to find out is that when ever a monkey gets up and takes a banana from the top of the cage the rest that are one the lower levels get electrocuted. And we all know monkeys don't want to be electrocuted. Ofcourse, after a while they understood a patter and developed a new social behaviour that was there to protect the group. Who ever tried to go to the banana was attacked and killed. No one was to even approach the stairs. After a while, when enough monkeys were killed, the first group of monkeys settled down and no one even tried to get up there. All was well.
And for a time, it was good. But then the malicious scientists introduced a new group of monkeys to this first one. New, young monkeys that were let into the cage. The young monkeys had to learn fast how did the first group function for they wanted to be integrated. Everything was as they expected except that everyone would go berzerk and into a killing frenzy when a new monkey would try to answer to call of the curved yellow goodness that stood atop the stairs in the cage. After a while, the new monkeys learned not to go to that section of the cage and everything was well. As with every great story, as soon as things get calmer, you need to shake the pot again. That is exactly what scientists did. But this time ther removed the first group from the cage. The group that knew why was it killing it's members if they gave out a sign that they might go up the stairs. Only then they introduced a new group of apes into the cage.
What do you think happened?
Simple - the second group of monkeys maintained the status quo of killing monkeys even when they didn't know why they should do that. The scientists turn off the electicity and monkeys still persisted in their behaviour...
Status quo needed to be maintained no matter what, and those that questioned why were killed on the spot.
Are we still talking about monkeys in a cage?
Once upon a time there was this cage and the first group of monkeys and a banana on the top of the stairs in the cage. What our little monkeys are about to find out is that when ever a monkey gets up and takes a banana from the top of the cage the rest that are one the lower levels get electrocuted. And we all know monkeys don't want to be electrocuted. Ofcourse, after a while they understood a patter and developed a new social behaviour that was there to protect the group. Who ever tried to go to the banana was attacked and killed. No one was to even approach the stairs. After a while, when enough monkeys were killed, the first group of monkeys settled down and no one even tried to get up there. All was well.
Touch me! I know you want to.
And for a time, it was good. But then the malicious scientists introduced a new group of monkeys to this first one. New, young monkeys that were let into the cage. The young monkeys had to learn fast how did the first group function for they wanted to be integrated. Everything was as they expected except that everyone would go berzerk and into a killing frenzy when a new monkey would try to answer to call of the curved yellow goodness that stood atop the stairs in the cage. After a while, the new monkeys learned not to go to that section of the cage and everything was well. As with every great story, as soon as things get calmer, you need to shake the pot again. That is exactly what scientists did. But this time ther removed the first group from the cage. The group that knew why was it killing it's members if they gave out a sign that they might go up the stairs. Only then they introduced a new group of apes into the cage.
What do you think happened?
Simple - the second group of monkeys maintained the status quo of killing monkeys even when they didn't know why they should do that. The scientists turn off the electicity and monkeys still persisted in their behaviour...
Status quo needed to be maintained no matter what, and those that questioned why were killed on the spot.
Are we still talking about monkeys in a cage?
love,90% of today's population is fallowing blindly the rule "it has always been like this" and not asking the question why it is like that. Other 10% are asking and trying to find the answer but their work is usually blocked by other group.
ReplyDeleteLuckly they dont give up easily.
This is why I yell at anyone who ever uses the stairs. We have elevators for a reason!
ReplyDeletenow thats a really long metaphor, but its true, when it comes to doing what we "must do" to preserve the "order" and our "freedom" we, the monkeys are pretty good at what we do aint we?
ReplyDeleteHeard this one before but good metaphor nonetheless.
ReplyDelete