Because we have always done it that way!!!

I love this anecdote......

If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage,
hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs
under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb
toward the banana.


As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys
with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with
same result ... all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the
other monkeys will try to prevent it.


Now, put the cold water away.


Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.
The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs.
To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of him.
After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the
stairs he will be assaulted.


Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it
with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment... with enthusiasm.


Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by
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 up have
no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs.
Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest
monkey.


Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of
the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold
water. Nevertheless, none of the monkeys will try to climb
the stairway for the banana.


Why, you ask? Because in their minds...
that is the way it has always been!

My husband read this to me not to long ago and it has stuck like glue. I can not tell you how many times I have heard this same response from supervisors in my work place. These are the ones I refer to as "the dinosaurs". I am thankful that my mind does not work that way. 

I am a "Why?" person and the "because" answer has never been one I could just let pass. Is it because I follow the beat of a different drummer, am I more brave and less afraid of the consequences or is it my insatiable need to just know "why" so I can "fix it".

I'm thinking it is all three. 

I try really hard to think outside of the box to see what is beyond what is in front of my face and to see more than what is being presented to me. I am a fixer and I obsess over making things better, run smoother or be more efficient. I like to improve or recycle and make new. I hate waste. 

And I really hate being told because we have always done it that way!