Because That's the Way It's Always Been Done Around Here

[Lex]

Author Unknown

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, one of the monkeys will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result; all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.

Pretty soon, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairs.

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 & restrain him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, then he will be assaulted.

Next, remove one of the original four monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is restrained by the group. 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 punished by the group.

Now, all of the monkeys, which are restraining each other, have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the restraint 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.

So, who's social consciousness are you responding to: yours or someone else's?

Source: http://www.indigoanswers.com/monkey.cfm?ID=15

[FreelanceFreedomFighter]

That's good to a point. But there are plenty of valid reasons to keep the "old" wisdom we're taught (or should be taught) as children. Have you ever seen a curious child killed (or would have been killed without CPR/FirstAid intervention) by putting a finger into an electrical socket? (I can say yes to both cases...  ) If we follow the logical conclusion of the story given, then we should ignore the warnings against putting a finger in an electrical socket and perhaps this time the electricity will be turned off. But if it isn't off and you could have stopped the death of that innocent child, wouldn't you have blood on your hands? I think so.

I understand the parable and lesson that we shouldn't be bound by others social consciousness, but the story really wasn't about social consciousness as much as it was about a lesson learned concerning bad consequences of certain actions and passed on to newcomers (or to put it a different way... children). Sometimes there are very valid reasons to follow things "the way they've always been done". After all, we're humans, not monkeys and this is how we progress... by building on the lessons of our ancestors rather than throwing those lessons out. In a case such as electricity, you simply can't tell a child to "look" to see if it is on, you need to teach caution and a procedure for checking to make certain it is safe to put something (like a finger) into an electrical socket. That is another thing that differentiates us from monkeys and also shows that this story isn't about "social consciousness" at all.

IMNSHO, the admonition to not be bound by someone elses social consciousness could be better illustrated by a different story. Right now, I admittedly can't think of one to illustrate it tho...

[rs38bj]

how about the harry chapin song flowers are red.

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And all responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

(not to mention it's another scenario to demonstrate the failure of public schools)

[Russell Kanning]

i have spent entire years of school in the back of the class .... many with my desk facing a wall.
i was no good at painting though