Because the thread disappeared I'll post it again

In a cage there are 3 monkeys, a tall ladder, a bunch of bananas suspended above and a hose.

Let's call the monkeys A,B and C

when any of the monkeys climb up to the top of the ladder in an attempt to reach the bananas the other two get sprayed from the hose with freezing cold water and pull the other monkey off the ladder

They quickly learn that any attempt to reach the bananas results in excrutiating pain - if any of the monkeys give in to their hunger they don't get the chance to climb the ladder before the other two violently wrestle them to the ground

Monkey A is removed from the cage and monkey D is introduced

Monkey D does not know of the freezing cold water but when he approaches the ladder B, C take him down.

Without ever witnessing or feeling the cold spray monkey D quickly learns that the ladder is a no-go area

Monkey B is removed and monkey E comes in

C and D don't let him near the ladder - he learns the lesson

Finally monkey C is removed and Monkey F comes in.

Monkey F learns the lesson

So what do we have? Three monkeys who have never been sprayed with freezing cold water but still will fight each other to the ground if any one of them approaches the ladder - they have learned that this is the rule of the cage - they have been socially conditioned to behave in this way.

This is modern life in a nutshell

mouldycherry - you don't need to despair at the modern world - you just need to think about what it is that's stopping you from climbing the ladder
Who knows, maybe the cagemasters in their complacency have decided their experiment has worked and they don't need to pay the water bill any more and now's your chance!