Company Policy

> Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a 
> banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, 
> a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. 

> As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with 
> cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the 
> 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 away the cold water. Remove 
> one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey 
> sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror,
> all of the other monkeys attack 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 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! 
> 
> Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then 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 have no idea why they 
> were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in 
> the beating of the newest monkey. 
> 
> After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys 
> have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again 
> approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as 
> they know that's the way it's always been done around here. 
>
> And that's how company policy begins...