Because that's the way it has always been done.

Most of us do some silly things just because people have been doing it and our parents insisted that it was the right way to do it. While bringing up my son, I allowed him and also encouraged him to question me when he feels something I am doing or telling him to do looks meaningless. A child who had no curtains of prejudice blocking his views showed me how foolish I have been at times... and to wonder I thought I was not superstitious. How many of us do things the way it is done just because we assume that is the only way it has to be done.. I welcome you to share your experience of this behavior we all exhibit. Be it considering spilling salt an evil sign or putting a horse shoe for good luck, what ever it is mention one incident which makes you laugh when you think back over it.

Let me share one of my experiences with you all today. I say just one because I do not want to look silly by sharing all my silly experiences with you.. LOL

I grew up respecting books a lot and most of my classmates’ worshipped books once in a year. Books were considered holy and as I loved books a lot myself, like usual I never questioned this act. We never touched the books with our feet and if we ever accidentally did touch it with our feet we would touch the book respectfully and kiss it. This went on in my life till one fine day my son asked me why I do it. I told him what I believed until then .. but as I was explaining to him that books impart knowledge so they are to be respected and worshipped etc etc I felt I was being very silly. Off course Rayyan found all this very funny because for him books were inanimate objects who would never know whether we love or hate them. His idea was to save that love for someone with a heart… and I learned my lesson.

Gorilla Story

Once, an experiment was conducted on few Gorillas. Five Gorillas were kept in a cage and a bunch of bananas hung over the cage just above their reach with a stairs leading to it. Before long, a gorilla went to the stairs and started to climb toward the bananas. As soon as he touched the stairs, all the gorillas were sprayed with cold water. After a while, another gorilla made an attempt and got the same result—all the gorillas were sprayed with cold water. Every time a gorilla attempted to retrieve the bananas, the others were sprayed. Eventually, they quit trying and left the bananas alone as the other Gorillas began to attack the one that tried to climb the stairs.

One of the original gorillas was removed from the cage and replaced with a new one. The new gorilla saw the bananas and started to climb the stairs. To his horror, all the other gorillas attacked him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted. Next, the second of the original five gorillas was replaced with a new one. The newcomer went to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Next the third original gorilla was replaced with a new one. The new one goes for the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four gorillas that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest gorilla.

After the fourth and fifth original gorillas have been replaced, all the gorillas that were sprayed with cold water were gone. Nevertheless, no gorilla will ever again approach the stairs. Why not?

“Because that’s the way it has always been done.”