What is the Monkeysphere?

What is the Monkeysphere and what does it have to do with war, oppression, and crime? A lot, apparently.

From a Cracked article by David Wong, here is the Monkeysphere:

First, picture a monkey. A monkey dressed like a little pirate, if that helps you. We'll call him Slappy.

Imagine you have Slappy as a pet. Imagine a personality for him. Maybe you and he have little pirate monkey adventures and maybe even join up to fight crime. Think how sad you'd be if Slappy died.

Now, imagine you get four more monkeys. We'll call them Tito, Bubbles, Marcel and ShitTosser. Imagine personalities for each of them now. Maybe one is aggressive, one is affectionate, one is quiet, the other just throws shit all the time. But they're all your personal monkey friends.

Now imagine a hundred monkeys.

Not so easy now, is it? So how many monkeys would you have to own before you couldn't remember their names? At what point, in your mind, do your beloved pets become just a faceless sea of monkey? Even though each one is every bit the monkey Slappy was, there's a certain point where you will no longer really care if one of them dies.

So how many monkeys would it take before you stopped caring? That's not a rhetorical question. We actually know the number.

Despite the humorous tone of the article, it's actually a very interesting and thought-provoking one. Find out what the "magic number where you stop caring" is: Link - Thanks Emily!


There'd never be a point at which I'd stop caring that about the monkeys, though I might not have the personal relationship with a hundred monkeys as I would just one monkey.

There's a darker side to this. In this metaphor, if we people are all monkeys, who is our human? What happens if this human dies? Does another human take his place, or do all the monkeys become free individuals? Of course the most important question is: Why do the monkeys even NEED a human in the first place?
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I like these ironies...

"Know problems cannot be solved with clever slogans and over-simplified step-by-step programs.

You can do that by following these simple steps. We like to call this plan the T.R.Y. plan:"

AND

"Second, UNDERSTAND that there are no Supermonkeys. Just monkeys. Those guys on TV you see, giving the inspirational seminars, teaching you how to reach your potential and become rich and successful like them? You know how they made their money? By giving seminars. For the most part, the only thing they do well is convince others they do everything well."

"So just remember: T-R-Y. Go forth and do likewise, gents. Copies of our book are available in the lobby."
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
thank you grouchosuave!

I must be very simple (and therefore have a very small monkeysphere), because I thought the article was one of the most thought provoking I had ever read when it was first published a couple weeks ago.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
The whole world is my monkeysphere, and you are all in it. This is not a comfortable way to live, but it is the way I'm made, and I am learning to find peace with it. I was called to this way of life and of being, and once this happens, there's nowhere on earth to hide from that call. ;) That's why I chose to do gerontological social work.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Wow really interesting.
It's not often that you find something on the internet that really makes you think about life.
But it's true- when it comes down to it, we're all just monkeys, no matter how advanced we become.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
i will always box broken glass(if un-recyclable)just for this reason,I don't think its unusual,but mebbes my "monkeysphere" is a bit bigger than the writers!i.e having done some manual labour and had a grounding in socalist pragmatism from family and society at large.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I find myself severly underwhelmed. This essay lacks supporting evidence in a profound way, and fials to address the insightful arguments that previous thinkers have put forth on the subject in any serious way. Perhaps the book does a better job at this, but I found the level of discourse to be closer to a Chick Tract than a meaningful contribution to the way we understand human soceity.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I like this Monkey Sphere theory. It explains why I don't give a rip about the starving peeps in Africa, and I'm tired of feeling guilty like I should care about them, even though there's absolutely nothing I can do to help them. Even sending money is useless. It just doesn't help any. Plus i don't know them so outta site. Outta mind.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 12 comments




Email This Post to a Friend
"What is the Monkeysphere?"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More