| The Japanese monkey Macaca Fuscata had been observed in the wild for a
period of over thirty years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima,
scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the
sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes but they
found the dirt unpleasant. An 18 month old female named Imo found she
could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She
taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way
and they taught their mothers too. This cultural innovation was
gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the
scientists.
Between 1952 and 1958, all the young monkeys learned to wash the
sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who
imitated their children learned this social improvement ... other adults
kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes. Then something startling took
place. In the autumn of 1958 a certain number of Koshima monkeys were
washing sweet potatoes - the exact number is not known. Let us suppose
that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima
Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let's further
suppose that later that evening the hundredth monkey learned to wash
potatoes ... THEN IT HAPPENED. By that evening almost everyone in the
tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of
this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!
But notice. A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was
that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea -
colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys
at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes. Thus, when a certain
number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated
from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, The Hundredth
Monkey phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know
of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of just those people.
But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes in to a new
awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up
by almost everyone!
Your awareness is needed. You may be the "hundredth
monkey".
Thoughts:
This story is taken from the book, "The
Hundredth Monkey" by Ken Keyes Jr., and to the best of my
knowledge, is not copyrighted. The area of Coaching
is going through this awareness tipping point. Those that use coaching
think it is an obvious thing to do. The fact that you are looking at
this web site means that you too are aware of it. The question is, are
you going to carry on eating dirty potatoes, or are you going to use
your awareness to improve your life? Coaching
is a confidential, non-judgemental service that has helped thousands of
people take control of their lives.
If you want to take control of your life, contact
me and together we will get the taste of dirt out of your mouth.
Eric
Sutherland
Make the Connection |
