Mastodawn

Iridescent Alchemyst Feb 3, 2025

When Good Intentions Go Wrong: The Monkey and the Fish

I wish I could remember where I first read this analogy.

What I do remember is how awe struck I was at its simplicity… yet how perfectly it captures the essence of the situation.

Tonight I decided to add a little flair and expand on the story with greater detail, so you can really get a sense of it. I enlisted the help of chatgpt’s image generator for photorealistic illustrations of the scenes. Perhaps I will make a short video of it as well…

The Monkey and the Fish

Imagine a vibrant jungle, alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves. High above, in the thick branches of a sturdy tree, sits a curious monkey named Milo. His brown fur glistens under the dappled sunlight as he scans the sprawling landscape below with bright, inquisitive eyes. As he gazes down at the shimmering river that snakes through the forest floor, something catches his attention—a flash of silver amidst the rolling waves.

image was generated in cooperation with
chatgpt image generator

Milo leans closer to get a better look and notices a fish caught in a furious battle against the rushing current. It thrashes desperately, its scales glinting like precious jewels as it gasps for air. From his vantage point high above, it seems to Milo that this creature is trapped in an insurmountable struggle—tugged relentlessly by forces beyond its control.

The sight tugged at the monkey’s heartstrings—a creature so small and fragile caught in a tumultuous world that felt cruel and unforgiving. Driven by an instinctual compassion, he leaned over the edge of his perch, feeling powerful yet vulnerable as he reached down into the chaos.

“I will save you,” he thought earnestly. Without fully understanding the world beneath him—a world where water is life—the monkey scoops up the desperate fish from its watery home.

image was generated in cooperation with
chatgpt image generator

Holding it aloft, he feels a surge of accomplishment wash over him; surely this act will be seen as heroic!

With great care and a sense of accomplishment, Milo places his new friend high among the leafy branches where he believes it will be safe from danger.

image was generated in cooperation with
chatgpt image generator

But as moments passed in stillness while he waited for expressions of gratitude or relief to emerge from this aquatic creature now nestled amongst leaves and twigs, confusion began to cloud his mind.

Instead of calm acceptance or happy splashes against bark-covered limbs, he observed with growing alarm how the fish began to gasp even more violently than before. Its body flopped wildly; fins fluttered helplessly in search of freedom but found none amidst this foreign landscape far removed from its home.

Milo’s confusion deepens with each agonizing wriggle of his newfound companion. The smile slowly fades from his expression. Convinced that patience would yield understanding—that perhaps all it needed was time to adjust—the monkey clung tightly to his belief in having done right by intervening at all.

He quietly reassures himself that he has done the right thing— he did what he had to do—he removed the fish from danger! Yet deep down lies a creeping realization that eludes him: despite his good intentions, he has stripped away everything essential for survival—everything that defined what it meant to be a fish.

A Lesson in Perspective

In this poignant tale lies an essential lesson about empathy and understanding—how our best intentions can lead us astray when we fail to recognize others’ needs are different from our own survival instincts. As we navigate life’s challenges alongside those who may be struggling in currents unseen by us—whether they are fellow humans or creatures like our ill-fated fish—it is crucial we strive not only to act but also listen deeply before leaping into action.

Let us remember: true compassion comes not just from desire to help, but also through understanding—bridging worlds with wisdom rather than assumptions—to ensure every gesture truly serves its intended purpose rather than leading another toward despair disguised as rescue. Sometimes what we perceive as aid can inadvertently cause harm if we don’t take time to listen and learn about those we wish to help.

A Lesson for CPS

As Milo sits among the leaves, watching the fish struggle, he cannot comprehend why his actions have led to suffering instead of salvation. His intentions were pure, his heart was in the right place—but his lack of understanding has turned his help into harm.

This is the tragic flaw in many well-meaning interventions: the failure to recognize that survival and safety look different for different beings. What may seem like a desperate struggle from one perspective is often simply the natural rhythm of life from another. When we act based on assumptions rather than true understanding, we risk doing more damage than the very dangers we seek to prevent.

This same flawed reasoning can be seen in the actions of child protective services (CPS) workers who assume that removing children from their homes is always an act of rescue.

They see struggling families, mistaking hardship, poverty, or temporary crisis for unfit parenting. Instead of providing support to strengthen the family unit, they rip children from the only environment they have ever known, placing them in a foster system that often exposes them to more trauma, neglect, and abuse than they ever faced at home.

Just as the monkey could not see that water is life for a fish, these caseworkers fail to understand that a child’s greatest source of stability and identity is often their own family—even if that family is struggling. In their rush to “save,” they end up causing irreparable harm, just like the well-meaning but ignorant monkey.

image was generated in cooperation with
chatgpt image generator

Support my work by sharing this blog post! Thank you in advance for your help spreading the word about this important information!