MONKEYS


>  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 around here.
>
>And that, my friends, is how a company policy begins. (can also be applied to the religious traditions of men)