What can we learn from monkeys? What have you learned so far?
Imagine…
5 Monkeys in a room. A banana on top of a ladder.
1 monkey climbs the ladder to retrieve the banana and the other’s are squirted with water.
Another climbs and the other’s, again, are squirted. And another, and more squirting.
Monkeys aren’t silly! They soon work out that when one climbs?… the others get squirted.
The 5th monkey climbs and the others drag him down!
Lookout!
Behavioural change!! Uh Oh!
A monkey is removed and replaced with a new one. One not experienced in getting squirted.
He climbs and is dragged down by the other 5. He tries again and is dragged down, until, after a period time, he makes no further attempt.
Behavioural change! Again!
Another is replaced and the procedure repeated until all 5 original monkeys have been replaced.
There are, now, no Monkeys in the room that have been penalised by being squirted with water for the offence of another attempting to get the banana.
An 11th Monkey (3rd generation) is introduced. Yep! You guessed it! He’s dragged down by the 5 monkeys who have no clue why they’re doin’ it!?!?
“It’s just the way we’ve always done it”!
“It’s what’s “normal”!
“It’s our culture”!
“Our behaviour is what was handed down to us through the generations”!
“We’re just doing what we’re told”!
“But everyones doin’ it”!
“If I don’t do it I’ll be different”!?!? “Or be dragged off the ladder”!
Now…
What have you learned?.. or, more to the point, what have you been conditioned to believe by the circumstances you chose to put yourself in and the people you listened to and surrounded yourself with? and that approved and rewarded you?
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