A group of scientists put five monkeys in a cage. In the center of the cage a ladder was placed and on top of it a bunch of bananas. Whenever a monkey climbed the ladder to grab himself a banana the scientists would spray freezing water on the rest of the monkeys with a power hose.
After a while, whenever a monkey tried to climb the ladder; the rest of the monkeys would drag him down and brutally beat him.
With time the monkeys stopped climbing the ladder, even with the temptation of the bananas.
And then the scientists replaced one of the monkeys. The first thing he tried to do was climb the ladder, an act that was violently prevented by his cage mates, who brutally beat him. After a few painful tries the new monkey stopped climbing the ladder.
The scientist then replaced another monkey who also tried climbing the ladder like his friends before. This time the first monkey to be replaced joined in the beating with enthusiasm.
The third monkey to be replaced demonstrated the same ritual. Gradually the other two other monkeys were also replaced until there were no monkeys left from the original group.
The scientists were left with five monkeys that had never had freezing water poured on them but still beat everyone who tried to get to the bananas.
If you could ask the monkeys why? Because that’s the way things are done around here.
Moral of the story: If “your monkeys” are getting the job done then don’t spray them with freezing water.