A Lesson

[Guest guest]

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage,

hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.

Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb

towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray

all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while,

another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the

other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when

another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys

will try to prevent it.

 

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage

and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana

and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all

of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and

attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will

be assaulted.

 

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace

it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is

attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment

with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey

with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.

 

Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is

attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no

idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why

they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

 

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining

monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless,

no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the

banana.

 

Why not?

 

Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been

done around here.

 

And that, my friends, is how company policy begins.

 

[i know there's a punch line and it's pretty funny, but this

story is disturbing, as well. I think most of us live our

lives only considering what our fathers taught us, and we leave

so much that needs to be understood until later--when it will

fill us with regret.]

 

DeniseC

One Planet ~ One People