Why I Hate Convention
May 10th, 2008
I can’t make peace with convention because it prevents me from doing my own thing. The following is one good example or could explain better the consequences of convention.
From the Navy Safety Center:
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, all of the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result, and all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon the 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 the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be attacked.
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 there.
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Entry Filed under: Philosophy
4 Comments Add your own
1. daks said on
May 10th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
convention used to be one of the greatest human inventions. an instrument of power to control and regulate society. i agree, it limits many human possibilities. people often fear what they do not know and understand because they love to be comfortable that’s why anything disturbing is automatically blocked out of their systems. hehe
2. aovaron said on
May 11th, 2008 at 12:23 AM
I’ve been asked many times if I have a problem because I’ve been writing so much in here. Do I need to have a problem in order to write the crops of my mind’s years of labor? More so, they should ask what inspires me in writing. I am inspired damnit! hehehe. I should be inspired, otherwise the footer in this site would be different. Digression!
I guess they’re not used with me opening a whole can of whoop ass!
3. daks said on
May 11th, 2008 at 8:00 AM
nvermind them…hehe! this is better than silence. i dont think silence could change things. cge lng sulat lng.
4. aovaron said on
May 11th, 2008 at 8:58 AM
I don’t mind anybody hehe
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