Updated September 9, 2025
The hundredth monkey effect—often retold as a sudden, mystical tipping point—makes a great story, but the science shows a slower, relationship-driven spread of new behaviors. That’s exactly how real-world movements grow, too. In this guide, we connect the hundredth monkey myth to practical steps for building solidarity, mutual aid, and participation in a general strike. Start with our [General Strike 101] and the free [General Strike Survival Guide] to get ready for the transformational shift in the American economy.
“There is a point at which, if only one more person tunes in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone.”
— Ken Keyes Jr., The Hundredth Monkey
In the 1950s, researchers studying Japanese snow monkeys on Koshima Island made a discovery that became the foundation of the now-famous Hundredth Monkey story. Popularized by Ken Keyes Jr. During their study, the researchers used sweet potatoes that the monkeys were foraging for to create a connection with the monkeys. The scientist observed something unusual: one young monkey, Imo, learned to wash her sweet potatoes to remove the sand. This simple act spread—first to her mother, then her playmates, and eventually to many of the younger monkeys in the troop.
Ken Keyes Jr. used this as a powerful metaphor in the forward of his book The Hundredth Monkey. (The original text from the book is posted at the end of this article.) He described a moment when the 100th monkey learned this new behavior, and suddenly, the entire population began doing it. The idea was captivating: that once a “critical mass” adopts a new thought or behavior, change spreads rapidly, even telepathically across oceans.
It’s a hopeful story. But how true is it?
Is The Hundredth Monkey effect Real?
Keyes’ story “supposes” details, imagining the “100th monkey” was a magical catalyst for social change, but scientists and their research reports are thorough. Unfortunately, the research does not support the “ideological breakthrough” phenomenon in the miraculous way Keyes describes.
In 1958, 15 out of 19 young monkeys and 2 out of 11 adults were washing sweet potatoes. By 1959, washing sweet potatoes had become a common behavior for the group. By January 1962, nearly all the monkeys in the troop, except those born before 1950, were observed washing their sweet potatoes.
This new behavior gradually spread through relationships, especially among younger monkeys and their families. Most older males, who had limited contact with the young, never adopted this behavior. There was no magical 100th monkey, no spontaneous mind-to-mind transfer. The behavior may have jumped from one island to another, but so did the scientist, and well, monkey see, monkey do.
But that doesn’t diminish the story’s power.
The key point remains transformative: new behaviors begin small, expand through connection, and eventually become an integral part of the culture.
What Does This Mean for a General Strike?
In a society plagued by economic injustice and corporate dominance, we often look for that “breakthrough moment,” a viral act of resistance, a critical mass that creates a tipping point and instantly changes everything.
But breakthrough moments of social change do not happen in a vacuum. I would like to tell you that all we need is to reach a certain threshold and the dominoes would fall. I wont tell you that. It is going to require persistent coordinated and strategic actions to effectively change the status quo of the current capital control of our lives.
I wish I could tell you that if enough people protest that we will stop the madness. it won’t. we are going to need more preparation that packing a lunch and holding signs at the freeway. These are great exercises of non-violent action. But when a general strike happens, it will happen to us all.
Change starts with you. One person choosing to prepare, speak up, and organize. That action ripples out to a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, and suddenly, something bigger begins to take shape.
Like the spread of sweet potato washing among monkeys, grassroots movements and labor strikes grow through solidarity and everyday interaction. A general strike won’t happen by magic or a sudden mass awakening; it starts when people discuss it in kitchens, break rooms, and mutual aid networks. Just as the monkeys learned new behaviors, we can
Are you ready to start?
You don’t need to change the world overnight. Just do something different today and share it. One new behavior. One refusal to comply. One act of mutual aid. That’s how movements grow. Not with fanfare, but with footsteps.
If you’ve ever wondered how to join a general strike or what it takes to prepare, now is the time to start. Small acts add up — one flyer shared, one coworker convinced, one act of mutual aid.
[Download the General Strike Survival Guide] to learn proven strike preparation strategies, connect with mutual aid networks, and see how grassroots organizing creates real change.
The Moral of the Story?
The truth about the Hundredth Monkey story is that change comes from persistence, not magic. Whether you’re seeking everyday activism ideas or aiming to participate in large-scale collective action, your role is important. Be the hundredth monkey. Stand with workers. Help build the momentum toward a general strike that challenges economic injustice and creates a future rooted in solidarity.
Let’s stop pretending this is normal.
You’re not alone anymore.
Let’s get started now.
Dancing Quail
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The “Hundredth Monkey” story is presented here as a metaphor for how ideas and behaviors can spread through communities. While inspired by real observations of Japanese macaques, the concept of a sudden “tipping point” or telepathic transfer of behavior is not supported by scientific evidence. This work is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the author.
Editor’s note: The passage below from Ken Keyes Jr.’s The Hundredth Monkey is public domain per the author. We include it for historical context. Contemporary research shows behavior typically spreads through ordinary social learning—not a sudden telepathic leap.
The Japanese snow monkey had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years.
In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkey liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.
An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.
Various monkeys gradually picked up this cultural innovation. Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.
Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes — the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.
THEN IT HAPPENED! By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!
But notice: A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea…Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes.
Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind. Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people.
But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!
Why this matters: Here’s how we turn inspiration into action—mutual aid, lawful participation, and inviting one coworker at a time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) Is the “Hundredth Monkey” phenomenon real?
A) No. The original Koshima observations show gradual social learning, not a sudden telepathic leap. The useful lesson is that behaviors spread through relationships over time. That is why The General Strike community is so powerful.
Q2) Where did the story come from?
A) It traces to mid-20th-century field studies of Japanese macaques (often highlighting a young monkey nicknamed Imo) and was later popularized in books and media—sometimes with mystical spin.
Q3) What does this actually teach about building a general strike?
A) Change compounds through networks: small, visible actions that peers can copy, steady invitations, and practical support (mutual aid). It’s diffusion—not magic.
Q4) How can I participate safely?
A) Start with lawful, low-risk steps: learn your rights, make intentional purchasing choices, support mutual aid, and share public information. Always follow applicable laws and your workplace policies.
Q5) Does participating always mean walking off the job?
A) No. “General strike” includes many peaceful, legal forms of participation; community support, information-sharing, non-participation in exploitive systems and economic choices; depending on your situation and local law.
Q6) What is a social “tipping point” or “critical mass”?
A) It’s the threshold where enough people adopt a behavior that it begins to spread rapidly. In practice, it’s reached through consistent, visible actions multiplied across real relationships.
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