Start with a cage containing five monkeys. In the cage, hang a
banana on a string and put 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 monkeys with
cold water. After a while, another monkey will make an attempt with
the same response -- all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold
water. Keep this up for several days.
Turn off the cold water. If, later, another monkey tries to climb
the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it even though no
water sprays them.
Now, 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 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.
Replace the third original monkey with a new one. The new one makes
it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys
that beat 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 the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the
monkeys which have been sprayed with cold water have been
replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs.
Why not?
"Because that's the way it's always been done around here." |
