What
can we learn about humanity from ... chickens?
On
my way to Meeting this morning, I listened to part of a TED talk about the
meaning of work. One of the speakers talked about a study – apparently a famous
study – of chickens.* One group of chickens was the control group: chickens of
typical productivity as measured by the number of eggs laid. A second group of
chickens of extraordinary productivity was created. The groups were cared for
similarly and followed for six generations, with a twist: the first group was
left alone, but lesser-producing chickens were removed from the second group.
After
six generations, the descendants of the very first group were a healthy, robust
and more productive group than their ancestors.
After
six generations, of the descendants of the original second group, only three
were alive: the “superchickens” had literally killed each other off.
What
can we learn from this astonishing study?
We
can learn that the cost of seeing ourselves as separate from others – let alone
better than others - can be catastrophic; that humility and cooperation are
good for us, individually and collectively; and perhaps that individuals are
connected by something invisible, mysterious and wonderful which some might
call a Holy Spirit but others may simply, and well, call love.
