What bananas have to do with raiding

Original source unknown - I have it from here.


Start with a cage containing five monkeys.

Start with a raid containing 25 monk....eerr...pugraiders.

Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.

Inside the dungeon there is a boss with epic loot on him. Open the dungeon for the monk...raiders. It won't be too long before the raiders will go into the dungeon to kill the boss. As soon as one monkey gets the loot, brag hard about it to all the other raiders.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

After a while another raider will make an attempt to roll on loot, but with the same result. Only 1 person gets to touch the loot, all the other raiders are taunted and annoyed. Pretty soon when a monkey will roll for loot, the other monkeys will all get really pissy about it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.

Stop the jaunting. Remove the worst raider from the raid, and replace with a different monkey. The new monkey reads about the loot and will roll for it. To his surprise and horror, all the other monkeys get pissy for him rolling on the loot.

After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

The new raider tries to defend himself, but gives up in the end.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.

Replace another of the original raiders with a new raider. The new raider is told beforehand not to roll on so and so loot. The previous newcomer agrees completely with this tactic. Likewise, every new monk...raider will be told not to roll at loot by the rest of the raid.

Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

Most of the raiders that are now in the group have no idea how this loot system came to be, or why new raiders are not allowed to roll for loot anymore.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done round here.

Once you've replaced all the original monkeys, and have even turned to a new guild/raidleader. None of them have ever been annoyed or have met arrogance about loot. Nevertheless new raiders are not allowed to roll on loot. Why not? Because that is how it's being done!

And that, my friends, is how company policies are made.

And that, my friends, is how you forget that raiding is not about loot, but about having fun together with other people. Don't forget to think outside the box!