Are you familiar with the story of the 100th monkey?

Back in the 50’s scientists conducted a behavioral study on a troupe of Macaca fuscata (Japanese monkeys) on Kōjima island.

Scientists witnessed several evolutionary behavioural changes by the troupe of Japanese monkeys, most notably by a young female monkey.

Scientists, left sweet potatoes out for the monkeys because apparently that is quite the monkey delicacy. Initially, the monkeys just ate the sweet potatoes. But one smart monkey figured out that if you took the potato to the ocean and washed it off, it tasted really good!

Gradually this new behaviour spread through the younger generation of monkeys who didn’t buy into the whole, “we’ve always eaten our sweet potatoes without washing them” approach to dining. They watched the first monkey’s approach to meal prep &knew a good idea when they saw it!

The scientists watched the other monkeys watching Imo (the heroine / change agent of our story), and saw the younger monkeys learning from her example. First one monkey, then two, then four, until one day the 100th monkey washed her sweet potato.

On the day that the 100th monkey learned how to wash the sweet potato something amazing happened. Suddenly, all the monkeys on the island started washing their potatoes.

Sometimes you have to be like Imo and just keep washing sweet potatoes until the other monkeys catch on.
Sometimes you have to join Imo and the other monkeys who persist, because it’s a good idea!

The thing is you’ll never know if you are the 100th monkey, the one who helps a new idea or way of doing things catch on. So, you don’t get to give up or sit this one out. You don’t get to make fun of those who’re trying to make it better because you’re needed for critical mass.

One more thing, there is a really good thread on not quitting and not giving a hard time to others who continue to keep the faith. https://twitter.com/sem1480/status/1296598063079927808?s=21