31/03/2015

Homework 3
For the Nature vs. Nurture-concerned assignment, the monkey story would make an appropriate choice. It
tackles the notion of how it is ones nurture that molds ones nature accordingly. It shows us how nurture
affects not only ones indwelling desires but also ones perception of threat and danger. It is particularly
relevant to Egyptian society for it underscores the fact that it is ones upbringing that highlights the
good/bad in ones personality, and that, accordingly, people should be given the opportunity to unleash
their full potentials without them fearing of derogatory societal labeling or negative judgment in general.

A group of monkeys is selectively chosen by highly professional scientists for scientific research purposes.
The research demands that a banana be put each and every day in the monkeys cage. Whenever any of
the resident monkeys tried to reach out for a banana, the scientists splashed freezing water at his peers so
as to discourage the entire tribe from this behavior.
This act was repeated several times until the monkeys deemed whoever tried to climb up to catch the
banana not only a dumbass idiot but also as a demanding threat to their homeland security. After a while,
all the monkeys had eventually stopped reaching out for the banana, no matter what the temptations. A
while later, the scientists started introducing new monkeys to the already indwelling population so as to
study their behavior and compare it to that of their peers. The results were astonishing!
The scientists noticed that whenever any of the new monkeys tried to reach out for the banana, the old
population of monkeys would surround him and beat him up, as his act would subject the whole group to
danger. Funny thing is that the monkeys were no really aware of the fact that the scientists stopped
throwing water a very long time ago. The scientists introduced even more new monkeys, and instinctively,
the new monkeys reached for the banana at the top of the cage. To their disbelief, the scientists noticed that
whenever a new monkey tried to climb up the ladder, all the monkeys, even the new ones who had never
seen the scientists throw freezing water, would surround the perpetrator and beat him up terribly.
However, one day, a new young monkey was introduced to the cage. And as usual, he instinctively reached
for the banana at the top of the cage. When the older monkeys gathered around him, trying to beat him up,
he rapidly fled and jumped earnestly towards the banana that hung from the top of the cage. When he
actually did that, all the monkeys held hands and cuddled together in one big circle to minimize the
incoming damage as much as they could. However, the scientists did not throw freezing water. When the
fearful monkeys found that the younger monkeys act of suicidal had passed and that no water was thrown
at them, they all surrounded the young daring monkey and carried him up on their necks, crowning him
leader of the group. Thus, the scientists arrived at a rather pivotal observation: Nurture inordinately affects
nature.