Monkeys pt.2

Upon second glance:

Some people may differ from this story based on a number of flawed assumptions, both tangible and philosophical, and therefore it may teach the wrong lesson. Consider this question: If, at the end of the story, a monkey tried to climb the ladder, how do you know whether the scientists would soak the monkeys with cold water or not? Answer: You don't. However, the author has assumed that the scientists would not, and used that to imply that the monkey's actions were pointless. However, there is no data to support that assumption. In fact, historical data strongly indicates the opposite assumption, and that the cultural wisdom the monkeys inherited from their predecessors was indeed valuable. As for the philosophical question of whether it makes sense to continue a behaviour when you don't know the reason behind it, I ask the opposite question: Does it makes sense to change a behaviour when you don't know the reason behind it? All things being equal, it makes most sense to continue on with the behaviour that is currently working for you. Unless there is data showing current behaviour is no longer the best approach, or the change has a clear opportunity for a benefit and we're willing to take a calculated risk, continuing the current behaviour helps us avoid paying for the same wisdom a second time. For those who still disagree, I give you one final argument: When raising your kids, when you told them not to do something, did you always provide a solid reason, or did you sometimes fall back on "Because I said so"? In those cases, shouldn't they have been able to do what they wanted because they didn't know the reason not to? Of course not, and that's my point: Wisdom is there for a reason, and while sometimes we need to go against it, we should be very cautious when we do.