[JackTimQSR]

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 round here.

[JackTimQSR]

Sarah Brosnan demonstrated that primates will happily perform a task for cucumber slices until they see others getting grapes, which taste so much better. The cucumber-eaters become agitated, throw down their measly veggies and go on strike. A perfectly fine food has become unpalatable as a result of seeing a companion with something better.

[Pataacculako]

I gave you one of my "collectibles" thanks for that one.......you have shown me in two minutes what a PhD could not in two years.......something to think about.

[fissasste]

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 round here.

Looks like it could be a new religion, or just the same old religion.

[AnthonyKing]

Very similar to the crabs in a bucket theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality

[Farson]

Thinking about it.........and that's why most poors stay poor because that's the way that is "supposed" to be........once in a while you see a beacon of light and you go for it and you find the kettle full of gold at the end of the rainbow.

[aaaaaaaabbbby]

Hmmm... Sounds overly complicated. To me, it seems like just a bunch of dung-flinging monkeys in a cage, with TPTB watching in amusement from a safe distance!

[Pataacculako]

Very true.....but........why are they fighting?.......you must ask the right question to get the right answers and must question you must answered them yourself by observation.........after all, tha's why The Force gave you a brain.

[assohillA]

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 round here.

If this doesn't perfectly describe modern life in America today I don't know what does.

[grubnismarl]

Forget monkeys. They've done this, and much worse, with humans to see what happens.

[JackTimQSR]

I do not like feeling conditioned

I recognize that I am conditioned, but I also recognize that I can make any choice. At any time.

Invoking member's right to not look tacky while bumping one's own thread.

[77chawzence]

Good example of not being able to see objective reality. We're conditioned in ways we don't know and can't recognize easily. We can only move forward by self-introspection on an individual basis.

[CuittisIL]

Sarah Brosnan demonstrated that primates will happily perform a task for cucumber slices until they see others getting grapes, which taste so much better. The cucumber-eaters become agitated, throw down their measly veggies and go on strike. A perfectly fine food has become unpalatable as a result of seeing a companion with something better.

chickens LOVE grapes. for them it is right up there with maggots & eggshells as a fine food, way above steak tartare.

Grapes + Maggots + Eggshells = Chicken Crack.

a sure fire way to get them back into the coop.


i'm curious how my chinkens would react to a monkey, but i'm afraid it would use them as a sex tool.

[appleiphoneees]

The banana is

[77chawzence]

Does anyone know what the technical name of the effect described in the OP is?

[aaaaaaaabbbby]

Does anyone know what the technical name of the effect described in the OP is?

I would think it's a branch of the science of "memetics" - but I'm not certain.

[vosteglog]

Does anyone know what the technical name of the effect described in the OP is?

I don't know, but it reminds me of the Anosognosic's Dilemma.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...ics-dilemma-1/

[CIAFreeAgent]

I don't know, but it reminds me of the Anosognosic's Dilemma.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...ics-dilemma-1/

geez, is that word-of-the-week here or what?

[vosteglog]

geez, is that word-of-the-week here or what?

How would I know? Should we continue to not bring up the stuff we know nothing about?

[77chawzence]

I would think it's a branch of the science of "memetics" - but I'm not certain.

Thanks. It does seem similar to a meme. But I think this is a little bit different...it's not just an idea spreading virally for whatever reason. I think it has more to do with self interest, positive vs negative rights, or maybe spite. I don't think any of those are quite it though.