Lesser Primate Committee
Thinking Experiment
Start
with a cage containing five apes. In
the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, an
ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the Banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all
of the apes with cold water. After a while, another ape makes an attempt with
the same result-all the apes are sprayed with cold water. Turn off the cold
water.
If,
later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to
prevent it even though no water sprays them.
Now,
remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one. The New ape sees
the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes
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 apes 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.
Again,
replace a third original ape with a new one.
The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the
four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the
stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape.
After
replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes which have been
sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no ape ever again
approaches the stairs. Why not? "Because that's the way it's always
been around here."
Sound
familiar?