Jace Lumen

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Imagine, if you will, a highly advanced simulation designed by the Intergalactic Council of Cosmic Observers (ICCO). Their goal? To study mimetic behavior among species and determine just how far beings will go to copy each other without questioning why. Naturally, they choose Earth’s apex imitator: the monkey.

But this time, they spice it up. They genetically enhance a group of monkeys—let’s call them the “High Society Chimpocrats”—with rudimentary fashion sense, Wi-Fi, and a mild addiction to social media. Then, the experiment begins…

Scene 1: The Birth of the Banana Trend

One day, a particularly flamboyant chimp named Duke Bananalot begins wearing a coconut shell as a hat. For no reason. None. It’s wildly uncomfortable and attracts hornets.

But the others see this and, rather than ask why, they nod sagely:

“He must know something we don’t.”

Soon, the entire troop is sporting bug-infested headgear. One chimp dies from allergic swelling. The others mourn… but keep the hats.

Scene 2: MonkeyTok and the Rise of Coconut Influencers

Bananalot starts livestreaming his hat routine, adding rituals like:

Screaming at the rising sun (3.4 million views) Polishing the shell with banana peels (sold as a detox scrub) Giving cryptic advice like, “One must become the fruit to escape the tree.”

#CocoCult goes viral.

Scene 3: The Collapse

Soon, chimps are rejecting actual bananas in favor of “banana NFTs” that smell like citrus. Trees are abandoned. Families are broken. One brave monkey yells:

“Why are we doing this? None of this makes sense!”

He is met with silence, then a slow clap. Someone offers him a brand deal.

The Human Twist

Now imagine a mirror. You, reader, are looking into it. Replace coconuts with trends, NFTs with TikTok dances, and chimp cries with comment sections.

We’ve all worn the hat at some point—copied a belief, a fashion, a behavior—without checking if it actually serves us.

🧘‍♂️ Stoic Message:

Epictetus once said,

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”

In other words, stop chasing the coconut hat just because everyone else is. True wisdom isn’t in imitation, but in introspection. The crowd may be large, but that doesn’t mean it’s headed anywhere worth going.

So next time you’re tempted to follow the troop blindly, ask:

“Is this a banana I actually want… or just one someone else dropped?”

Unplug. Observe. Question.

And for the love of Stoicism, take off the damn coconut hat.

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