WORKOUT WISDOM
There are 5 monkeys in a cage. Inside this cage is a staircase that leads up to a banana. The banana is hanging from a piece of string tied to the top of the cage. It doesn't take long before a monkey starts climbing the stairs in pursuit of the banana. As soon as the monkey touches the stairs, all the other monkeys are sprayed with very cold water.
A little while later another monkey decides to go after the banana. Sure enough, as soon as that monkey touches the stairs, all four of the other monkeys are sprayed with very cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey attempts to climb the stairs, the other monkeys prevent it.
At this point, you can put away the very cold water, and replace one of the monkeys with another monkey. The new monkey will see the banana at the top of the stairs, and go chasing after it. But the four original monkeys will attack him so that he doesn't touch the stairs.
After another attempt and attack, the new monkey knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will get assaulted.
Now you can remove another one of the original monkeys and replace him with a new monkey. As soon as the new monkey goes to the stairs he is attacked, and the previous newcomer helps out in the beating, with enthusiasm. Next, a 3rd original monkey is replaced, and a 4th, and finally a 5th.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked!! None of these monkeys have any idea why they are attacking one of their cage mates when he tries to climb the stairs, since none of them have been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, a monkey will never be allowed to climb those stairs again. Why not? Because as far as they know, that's the way it's always been, so that's the way it always should be.
I would like to thank Dietrich Buchenholz for that quote.