Primate behavior
Jun. 21st, 2004 12:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
resonantI took the kidlet to our pathetic little excuse for a zoo yesterday, and naturally I began thinking about psychology in the monkey house.
The monkey house is unnerving. The monkeys make eye contact. Some of them seem to be under a misapprehension as to who is on display for the entertainment of whom.
In one cage, there was a monkey stretched out at its ease. Next to it sat a second monkey, carefully grooming it and eating the bugs. (The expression on the face of Grooming Monkey was familiar; it was the expression you see on a woman who's cooking and carrying on a conversation at the same time.)
Then a third monkey reached across Grooming Monkey and picked a bug off of Top Monkey. Top Monkey took no notice, but Grooming Monkey screeched and gave Wannabe Monkey a big smack upside the head.
My first thought -- well, OK, my first thought was, Hel-lo, fandom. But my second thought was: This is why ambition has never much appealed to me.
You might eventually get to be Top Monkey, but the odds are against you. And in the meantime, not only are you picking the bugs off of Top Monkey, but you're actually fighting other monkeys for the privilege.
The monkey house is unnerving. The monkeys make eye contact. Some of them seem to be under a misapprehension as to who is on display for the entertainment of whom.
In one cage, there was a monkey stretched out at its ease. Next to it sat a second monkey, carefully grooming it and eating the bugs. (The expression on the face of Grooming Monkey was familiar; it was the expression you see on a woman who's cooking and carrying on a conversation at the same time.)
Then a third monkey reached across Grooming Monkey and picked a bug off of Top Monkey. Top Monkey took no notice, but Grooming Monkey screeched and gave Wannabe Monkey a big smack upside the head.
My first thought -- well, OK, my first thought was, Hel-lo, fandom. But my second thought was: This is why ambition has never much appealed to me.
You might eventually get to be Top Monkey, but the odds are against you. And in the meantime, not only are you picking the bugs off of Top Monkey, but you're actually fighting other monkeys for the privilege.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 12:46 pm (UTC)er, mind if I metaquote you?
(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 01:04 pm (UTC)And, sure, quote me all you like!
(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 12:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 01:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 01:45 pm (UTC)And no matter what...you're still a monkey.
(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 07:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 05:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 7/1/04 03:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 05:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 6/21/04 08:25 pm (UTC)Well. Louse-y goodness. High protein.
Does that mean we tick each other off, literally?
B