The Monkey, the Fence, and the Bananas

A monkey is on one side of a wrought-iron fence. A large bunch of bananas is on the other side just beyond the monkey’s grasp. The monkey reaches through the fence repeatedly, trying to secure the bananas but fails every time.  Eventually the monkey starves.

Whether or not this story is true, it is useful.  The monkey could easily have climbed over the fence and enjoyed a banquet.

We are sometimes like the monkey, attached to a solution that is obvious, simple, and useless.

Years ago, I learned an important lesson from the book The Road Less Traveled, and that is to take my time in solving a problem.  To this day, I think through possible solutions.  The beat poet Alan Ginsberg wrote, “First thought, best thought.”  This may be true in writing a poem, but not necessarily in reaching a bunch of bananas.

On the TV quiz show Million Dollar Pyramid a contestant who was stuck had the opportunity to call a friend.  That’s still a good idea.  None of us has a monopoly on ideas, and I’ve found that my co-workers, children, and friends often find an excellent solution never would have occurred to me.

Life is like a quiz show, with new questions to be answered every day.

So, if you’ve been reaching through the fence without success. Maybe it’s time to slow down and rethink the solution.

Take your time, reflect, ask for help if you need it, and you’ll find answers that are effective, rather than obvious.

Alan