Imagine an enclosure in which six gorillas are housed. Each gorilla is fitted with an electric collar.

In the middle of the enclosure is a ladder. At the top of the ladder, there is a banana suspended from a rope.

The enclosure is set up so that when ANY gorilla climbs the ladder to try and get the banana, ALL the gorillas get an electric shock from the collars. Pretty soon, the gorillas figure out, that it is not a good idea to climb the ladder.

Now, imagine that we replace one of the gorillas with a new gorilla, who does not have a collar. When the new gorilla sees the banana, he will try to climb the ladder to get to the banana.

However, as soon as the new gorilla tries to climb the ladder to get the banana, the other gorillas will attack him and stop him climbing the ladder. After a while, the new gorilla learns, that it is not a good idea to climb the ladder.

One by one we replace all six of the original gorillas. We now have a group of six gorillas, none of whom have ever had a collar, none of whom have ever received an electric shock, who do not try to climb the ladder because, “that’s how it has always been!”

Even though the reason for the behaviour has long gone, the behaviour of the six gorillas remains the same!

Once upon a time, there may have been very good reasons for many of the things we do, or don’t do.   Maybe, it’s time we tried to climb the ladder again!