In a room, there were ten monkeys. It was a big spacious square room, with proper sunlight and packed windows, so that none could leave the room. In the centre, a bunch of banana was hitched against the roof. It was at certain heights and thus monkeys couldn’t reach it easily. However, there was a stair such that monkeys could get the bananas after climbing the 3-4 steps.

But things were not that simple as they looked. There was a problem and i.e. as soon as any monkey climbed first step of the stair, there was a sprinkle and water rushed from all walls into the room. A monkey tried to climb and suddenly got frightened at the sudden gust of water. All other monkeys also got scared and thrashed the monkey who tried climbing. That monkey sat timidly in one corner.

After some time, one monkey got replaced in the room. A new handsome monkey came and as soon he entered, he saw a beautiful bunch of bananas and nice arrangement of stairs to grab those. He thought, “Are other monkeys fool or what ?” But forgetting that, he went forward and climbed and then again water rushed from all sides. He got appalled and all the monkeys again throbbed him. The one who got thrashed first time was the one who was leading this time. The new monkey sat timidly in the corner.

This cycle continued. Every time a new monkey came, he tried to climb the stair and got beaten.

After some time, each of the old monkey got replaced. And water tank also got emptied and now no water flew out after climbing the stairs. They could have got the bananas very easily right then, but alas !

Finally a stage came, when there was a common belief shared by all the monkeys and i.e. as soon as someone try to climb the stair, he should be beaten, black and blue. Now none of them knew the reasons of throbbing others. They were beating just because they were beaten when they tried to climb the stair.

At the end, a common consensus developed that as soon as anyone will try to climb the stair, he’ll be beaten. A policy is made.

(I heard this story from one of my favorite seniors and i believe that it represent an excellent analogy to human psychology . )