While the theory of the “hundredth monkey” is seen as something not based on actual evidence, I have to be honest, that once I heard the story as a child, it really stuck. And so while the phenomenon has been discredited, I’m still going to talk about it here. I guess I’m someone who believes in things bigger than ourselves or facts sometimes. I believe in the power of our thoughts in a big way. And, so part of me holds some faith in this idea.
So, here’s the study and theory to my understanding, if you haven’t heard it:
A team of scientists in the 1950s studied a group of monkeys on an island in Japan. The team would drop sweet potatoes or wheat and observe the monkeys’ behaviors. One monkey started washing the sweet potatoes in water before eating them. A few years later, many of the monkeys were doing this. Some monkeys who were older did not adopt the behavior. But through teaching and observation, the washing food behavior spread throughout most of the monkeys on the island. The female monkey who had invented this technique continued to come up with other innovations too, which were also adopted.
Then, in the 1960s, a separate source mentioned that similar food washing behaviors were noticed in monkeys in other parts of the world. This was never explained. Some thought monkeys from the original island might have swum to other locations and spread the behavior, but the group of monkeys that were originally studied were not swimmers.
So, what some people did with these two separate bits of information is create this hundredth monkey myth. The theory being that once a certain number of animals, not necessarily 100, but a critical number is reached in learning a new behavior, then that behavior is spontaneously picked up by animals in other locations as well without actually being taught or observing this behavior. It’s as if the idea catches on all on its own and starts spreading.
And while this is seen simply as a “hypothetical phenomenon” and a story told by New Age folk or, you know, folks writing Reducing and Reusing posts, I still like to think about it from time to time when I’m working on making change. I say to myself, “Maybe you are the hundredth monkey!” Maybe once I start (or started) bringing reusable bags to the store or using rechargeable batteries or bringing my own takeout containers and so on, maybe I’m the last one who has to do so somewhat consciously, and then the idea will just spread throughout the world and it will just become second nature for everyone.
Now even if you think the whole 100th monkey thing is a bunch of baloney, because, like I said, that’s not at all what the study was getting at, even just looking at the original study itself can be inspirational. One monkey discovered a new behavior and she probably shared it with her kids or those around her observed it. And the idea spread in that area through teaching and observation. There, of course, were some who were too old or stubborn to change their ways, but for the most part, this one monkey’s new way of thinking effected a majority of the population. And, who knows? Maybe somehow, her innovation, whether through a logical explanation or otherwise, effected monkeys in other parts of the world.
So, whatever you believe, I just wanted to share this thought in case it serves as a source of inspiration for you as well.