Subject: Feel Like A Banana? {Insp}
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Sun Oct 28 2001 - 02:33:15 EST
"Feel Like A Banana?"
In a cage there are five apes.
In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs
under it.
Before long, one ape will go to the stairs and start to
climb towards the banana, but as soon as he touches
the stairs, spray all of the apes with ice 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, an 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 one 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.
Replace another 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."
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Thu Nov 01 2001 - 00:00:01 EST