The three monkey experiment

In a widely known monkey experiment, three monkeys were put into a room with only a pole to climb and bananas at the top. The first monkey who attempted to climb the pole was sprayed with water, causing him to climb down. As other monkeys tried the same, the others learned to dissuade those who attempted to climb the pole. Even as new monkeys were introduced, the behavior to prevent others from climbing the pole had been learned.

Do you think this monkey experiment relates to human behavior?  Well, yes, it does.  Check out this experiment:

Both the monkey experiment and the waiting room experiment display a concept called conformity.

So, how does this relate to our health and fitness? The example speaks not only to peer pressure, but also the concept that if we don’t fully understand something, we may have preconceived notions for why we’re acting a certain way.

In the context of our health and fitness, we may not always agree with everyone’s viewpoint, but it’s always worth a listen. You may begin thinking about concepts differently. After all, no one paradigm will work perfectly for everyone. It’s simply a matter of finding what works best for you.

In 2017, think about why you are making certain health decisions. Are your decisions influenced by peer pressure or are they backed up by science? If you really want to fix a bad habit, you need to understand your triggers and why you’re feeling a certain way or why you do what you do.

Focus on educating yourself about your health and fitness. Apply what you learn and put yourself in a better position to achieve results through making smarter decisions. A strong mind game will get you to the finish line.

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