(CodeGen) Learning of the week - Climb the ladder

A group of scientists placed five monkeys in a cage and in the middle, a ladder with bananas on top. Every time a monkey went up the ladder, the scientists soaked the rest of the monkeys with cold water. After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder, the other monkeys beat him up. Eventually, no monkey dared to go up the ladder regardless of the temptation.

Scientists then decided to substitute one of the monkeys. The first thing the new monkey did was go up the ladder. Immediately the other monkeys beat him up. After several beatings, the new monkey learned not to climb the ladder even though he was unaware of the reason behind this. A second monkey was substituted and the same result occurred. The first monkey participated in the beating of the second monkey. A third monkey was substituted and the same was repeated. The fourth was the same and finally the fifth monkey was replaced.

What was left was a group of five monkeys that continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder even though they had never received a cold shower.

If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder, their answer would probably be "I don't know. That's just how things are done around here."

Learning:

People sometimes continue doing the same old actions in their life, workplace etc… How many times have we heard "It has always been done this way. Don't mess with what works."

Instead of challenging these assumptions, many of us, like the monkeys, simply keep doing what has been done before without even knowing the reason behind it! It's the easiest thing to do.

Our assumptions are our windows to the world. Let's scrub them off every once in a while, or light won't come in.

So let's break free and climb 'the ladder'.