We have long said it’s not what you know, but what you are capable of learning.  What we know is the result of the baggage of knowledge we’ve accumulated over time, which helps to shape our views of the world.  But what we are capable of learning is an entirely different story.  In a changing world, one of the ways to be efficient and effective is by not only abandoning all information that is no longer useful, but by abandoning information that is no longer necessary.

When thinking about the change process, the hundredth-monkey effect comes to mind. The hundredth-monkey effect is a supposed phenomenon in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from members of one group to all related, once a critical number is reached.  The thought is when a group with a certain set of behaviors becomes large enough, they have an influence on the behavior of other groups, despite any direct contact.  Generally speaking, it refers to the instantaneous spreading of an idea or ability to the remainder of a population once a certain portion of that population has heard of the new idea or learned the new ability.

When a critical mass — the presumed 100th monkey — acquires the skill, the awareness suddenly spreads to every member of the group. Urban legend attributes the rapid spread to paranormal means, while marketers refer to the 100th monkey as the tipping point where enough early adopters have used a product that it finally becomes mainstream.

The 100th Monkey Effect is not only telling in terms of how new business concepts, products and services take hold, but also the ways in which new thoughts and beliefs are transmitted.  To me, the lesson here is this:  We must recognize and revel in what we don’t know in order to discover new things…new possibilities…new realities…and new futures.  Somehow through life’s experiences we put up walls and barriers and forget how to see through new eyes.  Or we are influenced by others and taught to see things in a certain way.   This is just some food for thought, but what is your take on this?