The Monkey’s Dilemma (Maybe You SHOULD Quit)

You’ve heard about “the monkey’s dilemma.” It’s that story about the hunter who takes a jar with an opening slightly larger than a monkey’s hand. The hunter ties a rope around the neck of the jar using a knot, called a monkey’s knot. The hunter puts food in the glass jar, like rice, a banana slice or a peanut.

The monkey reaches his hand into the jar, grabs the food, making a fist with his hand. Presto! The monkey’s dilemma: he can’t get his hand out of the jar unless he drops the food. The neck of the jar isn’t wide enough. He could drop the food and easily get his hand out, but he refuses. The monkey has complete control to escape, but he won’t do it. Instead, he clinches his fist around the food until the hunter throws a net over him. He’s captured.

Watch today’s episode and you may see yourself in “the monkey’s dilemma.”

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