: Primate Committee Thinking Experiment

: Start with a cage containing five apes. In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the Banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water. After a : while, another ape makes an attempt with the same result-all the apes are sprayed with cold water. : Turn off the cold water. If, later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to prevent it even though no water sprays them. Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new ape sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes 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 apes 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. Again, replace a third original ape with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape. After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes which have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs. Why not? "Because that's the way it's always been around here."

: Sound familiar?

: Now replace those apes with us. Replace the situation with time and history. Replace the manipulators with men of intent...gods of intent. Most of the time, it's about common sense, the gut, instinct. In a world imposing evidences, legalities, reason on truth, feelings are more too often abandonded? What then lies in the truth? Are what other men tell you true? Question what you feel. Question your motives. Truth might be closer that you think.

: Tön

I like it, is this form you or repeated? Anyway, as far as truth, there is such a thing, although we are able to percieve it in ways which are not pure, our reality is so minute in the space of all "time" that to us, it is as solid as a rock. Therefore, we must try to live within it in ways which bring the most sense of happiness or the strongest feeling security possible within this reality. We are aware of certain things, that we have an awareness, and that we will die. Many other things are seemingly secured, and this is good for the individual, for it allows planning, but to state anything other than awareness and death as being certain is to pretend you know the future. When the results are positive, it does seem to make one more confident of even more predictions. And in the world, it is all we have. To understand and accept it has given me peace, and I am happy to have had the awareness I do.

• Re: Prediction of our future reality give sense of security and happiness - Tön/">Tön - January 29, 1999 - 13:46 UTC
  • Re: Prediction of our future reality give sense of security and happiness - Phil.o.Sofir - February 4, 1999 - 16:27 UTC