The Monkey and The Jar of Rocks (Motivational Story)

There’s an old and possibly apocryphal story about how to catch a monkey that illustrates a set of ideas very well:

# Sacrifice now, to gain later.

# The successful among us delay gratification. 

# The successful among us bargain with the future.

First, you must find a large, narrownecked jar, just barely wide enough in diameter at the top for a monkey to put its hand inside. Then you must fill the jar part way with rocks, so it is too heavy for a monkey to carry. Then you must to scatter some treats, attractive to monkeys, near the jar, to attract one, and put some more inside the jar. A monkey will come along, reach into the narrow opening, and grab while the grabbing’s good. But now he won’t be able to extract his fist, now full of treats, from the too-narrow opening of the jar. Not without unclenching his hand. Not without relinquishing what he already has. And that’s just what he won’t do. The monkey-catcher can just walk over to the jar and pick up the monkey. The animal will not sacrifice the part to preserve the whole.

Something valuable, given up, ensures future prosperity. 
Something valuable, sacrificed, pleases the Lord. 

Ref: 12 Rules for Life (Jordan Peterson)

Tags: Book Summary,Management,Behavioral Science,Psychology,