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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Monkey Experiment

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up. Soon, none of the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious. But undaunted, he immediately begins to climb the ladder.

All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why.

However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out of him.

This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he’s not on the receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he has no idea why he’s attacking the new monkey.

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. Eight new monkeys are now in the room. None of them have ever been sprayed by ice water. None of them attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically beat up any new monkey who tries, without having any idea why.

And that is how most companies’ policies get established.

(This is reportedly based on an actual experiment conducted in the U.K.)

11 comments:

  1. Sounds like the Republican Party to me...

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  2. Which tells us that if society has set rules, they could possibly be there for a reason, even if the "new generations" have no idea why their forefathers made those rules. Thus, one should investigate why those rules are there before deciding that they need to be changed.

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  3. I just printed it. :)
    Impressive.

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  4. So in other words, even though they don't know why they aren't doing it, they know it is wrong.

    But if one was like, screw it, im still going, then they all get sprayed again.

    whats wrong wtih that? I don't get why there is a negitive spin to this.

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  5. even if you stopped spraying monkeys with ice-water, they will still continue not to try it out because they don't know what was preventing them from doing it...

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  6. Sounds like the gov brainwashed liberals. Unable to think for themselves as usual and want the big government to run the show for them.
    Sad little bunch of monkeys really, Always reaching for that free banana prize :D

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  7. Religion works on this theology, break from the set routine and you will be dealt with.

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  8. This pretty much sounds similar to all the religious rituals out there. Also, does this ask us to reinvent the wheel every time we plan to use it?

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  9. I think there's a point being missed here. The monkeys (to me) represent the bottom of the chain employees. Those employees are hired to complete certain tasks to help the company function but have little or no chance to climb the corporate ladder. Every time someone tries to stand up or stand out, the company takes something away making all the employees misserable. Eventualy origanal employees (having lossed benifits) leave and new ones replace them not knowing what previous employees had, and do the job without question. If they do try to climb the ladder than the remaining employees attack them knowing that it will only bring more pay cuts or benifit loss. eventualy the origanal employees are fazed out and the new employees learn their place and make sure that anyone new knows their place.

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