Carrying out an experiment, a group of scientists put five monkeys in a cage, in the center of which was a ladder with a bunch of bananas on top. Every time one of the monkeys started to climb the ladder to reach the bananas, the scientists poured cold water on the animals below. After a while, the monkeys below adopted a new behavior: each time one tried to climb the ladder, the others physically restrained it or prevented it from doing so, by some other violent means. At one point, the monkeys gave up their efforts to climb the ladder, despite the temptation of the bananas at the top.
The scientists then replaced one of the monkeys in the cage; and the first thing the new monkey tried to do was climb the ladder, an attempt quickly, decisively, and violently thwarted by the others. After several painful efforts, the new monkey stopped trying as well.
Then the scientists brought in another replacement monkey, which also immediately headed for the ladder. This time, the initial surrogate monkey enthusiastically joined in the violence. The same ritual was repeated with the third, fourth, and fifth replacements, until none of the animals in the cage belonged to the original group. The scientists were left with five monkeys which, despite never undergoing the cold water treatment, continued to attack anyone who tried to reach the bananas.
Marcel Proust said that habits are our second nature, which prevents us from knowing first nature. Our experiences, especially the negative ones, in addition to the patterns influenced by culture, education and religion, develop a conditioned self, which makes us live in a limited way. We limit ourselves to thinking about what is possible, what we can achieve, what can be done. We end up denying ourselves the possibility of fully developing our potential.
It is as if we had a thermostat inside us that limits the level of satisfaction, achievement and fulfillment that we can access. It is at the base of many self-sabotaging mechanisms and at the center of many social problems that surround us; In addition to an individual thermostat, there is also one that is social. Aristotle said that we are what we do repeatedly.
Therefore, becoming aware of the thermostat inside us is the premise to be able to obtain changes in our lives and access new levels of happiness, success and plenitude.
As the American poet Tuli Kupferberg said, “when patterns are broken, new worlds emerge”. In this way we can live expressing our authentic self and rediscover our first nature.
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