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Put on Your Thinking Cap
Jun 22 2006 | Views 197 |
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Ten Monkeys
I read about this experiment on behavioral patterns, a very long time ago and I always wanted to share this with others. It was an eye opener for me in many respects. I am sure you will enjoy reading this.
Its about a group of ten monkeys and a hanging banana. This group of ten monkeys are put inside a glass room. In the middle of the room, a single banana is left hanging, just within the reach of the monkey’s jump. The glass room has numerous inlets fitted with water jets. As soon as the monkeys are put inside the room, all of them see the banana hanging in the middle. Now, every time a monkey tries to jump from the floor and reach for the banana, the scientists open up high powered water jets through the inlet holes and splash them on all the monkeys. This happens every time one among those monkeys go for the banana. Over a period of days, each of the ten monkeys tries its hand on reaching for the banana, only to be welcomed by instantaneous water jets being splashed on all the monkeys, causing deep pain and anguish. After a couple of days, what the scientist observed was that, none of the monkeys went for the banana. Occasionally, one of them, tempted, would go for the banana, but then all other monkeys would jump on this monkey, beat it black and blue and stop it from reaching the banana, fearing the impending water jets, even when no water jets were being splashed on them. The scientist had successfully internalized the fear and the cause and effect system of monkey going for banana - triggering a water jet - leading to pain and anguish.
This went on for while and then the scientist replaced one old monkey with a new monkey from outside. This new monkey, as soon as it entered, saw the other monkeys and a banana hanging in the centre and to its surprise no monkey was trying to go and get it. Having thought for a while, unable for figure out the reason, it instinctively went for the banana, only to be pounded by the other monkeys, beaten and thrashed to the ground. The new monkey wondered why other old monkeys would do that, because after all it was going for a hanging banana, something a monkey always does naturally. It waits for sometime, and then tries again, and again, only to be faced with the same reaction from other monkeys. Finally, it too sits quiet under the banana, like others. And the point to be noted here was that the fear factor was internalized in the new monkey, without having been subjected to any water jet treatment.
Like this, the scientists replaced one monkey after another until all the ten old monkeys, who had faced the water jets were replaced by a completely new set of monkeys. The banana still hung in the centre. Every time, a new monkey entered the room, it instinctively tried to go for the banana, only to be beaten black and blue by the others, until its natural instinct to jump for a banana was overcome and suppressed, atleast as long as it remained in the glassroom.
It was a simple experiment, but the results are a big revelation. The glassroom depicts a society and each new monkey, a new generation of life on this earth. The set of principles and situations at a particular point of time and for a particular set of people, are not the same over a period of time, but people’s reaction to such situations gets internalized and templated that others blindly follow or forced to blindly follow the rut, killing the natural human instincts of seeking knowledge and reasoning it by logic. Most of the superstitions and to great extent, religion as such in today's world, are a simple reflection of this process of forced internalization over thousands of years of human existence. Afterall, a phenomenon could also be a foolishness embraced by millions. If only we could apply our minds, we can atleast leave this world a better place to live for our children!!
Its about a group of ten monkeys and a hanging banana. This group of ten monkeys are put inside a glass room. In the middle of the room, a single banana is left hanging, just within the reach of the monkey’s jump. The glass room has numerous inlets fitted with water jets. As soon as the monkeys are put inside the room, all of them see the banana hanging in the middle. Now, every time a monkey tries to jump from the floor and reach for the banana, the scientists open up high powered water jets through the inlet holes and splash them on all the monkeys. This happens every time one among those monkeys go for the banana. Over a period of days, each of the ten monkeys tries its hand on reaching for the banana, only to be welcomed by instantaneous water jets being splashed on all the monkeys, causing deep pain and anguish. After a couple of days, what the scientist observed was that, none of the monkeys went for the banana. Occasionally, one of them, tempted, would go for the banana, but then all other monkeys would jump on this monkey, beat it black and blue and stop it from reaching the banana, fearing the impending water jets, even when no water jets were being splashed on them. The scientist had successfully internalized the fear and the cause and effect system of monkey going for banana - triggering a water jet - leading to pain and anguish.
This went on for while and then the scientist replaced one old monkey with a new monkey from outside. This new monkey, as soon as it entered, saw the other monkeys and a banana hanging in the centre and to its surprise no monkey was trying to go and get it. Having thought for a while, unable for figure out the reason, it instinctively went for the banana, only to be pounded by the other monkeys, beaten and thrashed to the ground. The new monkey wondered why other old monkeys would do that, because after all it was going for a hanging banana, something a monkey always does naturally. It waits for sometime, and then tries again, and again, only to be faced with the same reaction from other monkeys. Finally, it too sits quiet under the banana, like others. And the point to be noted here was that the fear factor was internalized in the new monkey, without having been subjected to any water jet treatment.
Like this, the scientists replaced one monkey after another until all the ten old monkeys, who had faced the water jets were replaced by a completely new set of monkeys. The banana still hung in the centre. Every time, a new monkey entered the room, it instinctively tried to go for the banana, only to be beaten black and blue by the others, until its natural instinct to jump for a banana was overcome and suppressed, atleast as long as it remained in the glassroom.
It was a simple experiment, but the results are a big revelation. The glassroom depicts a society and each new monkey, a new generation of life on this earth. The set of principles and situations at a particular point of time and for a particular set of people, are not the same over a period of time, but people’s reaction to such situations gets internalized and templated that others blindly follow or forced to blindly follow the rut, killing the natural human instincts of seeking knowledge and reasoning it by logic. Most of the superstitions and to great extent, religion as such in today's world, are a simple reflection of this process of forced internalization over thousands of years of human existence. Afterall, a phenomenon could also be a foolishness embraced by millions. If only we could apply our minds, we can atleast leave this world a better place to live for our children!!
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