2nd Feb 2016 | Leave a comment
Of Mindsets and Monkeys
Petr Karel Ontl describes how monkeys are often sold as pets in India, and describes how they are commonly trapped:
The trapper fastens a piece of cord to a tree-stump. To the other end he attaches a pot with a narrow neck. Into this pot he drops several nuts, and scatters a few more on the ground nearby. He then waits out of sight.
Soon a band of monkeys descends to feed. Before long, one of them discovers the contents of the pot. He puts his hand in easily enough, but, having grasped the enticing snack, he cannot pull his clenched fist out through the narrow opening no matter how hard he struggles. The monkey’s fate, for all his cleverness, is sealed. He becomes trapped.
The monkey seems stupid to us – he could easily remove his hand if he would only let go!
But I’ve worked with too many people trapped in miserable jobs to think that this kind of mindset only applies to monkeys. So many of us could be happier, more alive and have more meaning in our lives, if only we could let go.
Career Change, Career Development, Getting Unstuck coaching
Tags: Experiential avoidance, Flexible thinking: using ACT in career change, Psychology of career change
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