The essence of the book “Who moved my cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson

The book primarily deals with the subject on Change. Dr. Johnson is elaborative on the approach towards change and speaks of the inherent inertia that people possess. The book quintessentially gives a fictional anecdote to deal with the most constant phenomenon in everybody’s life which is Change. Let’s get to the narrative.

Characters in the story

Two mice named Sniff and Scurry and Two little people called Hem and Haw. For ease in understanding their perspectives, the author maintained that the little people were as small as mice but acted a lot like people.

Genesis

Every day the mice and the little people spent time in the maze looking for their own special cheese. The mice with their little brain power relied on trial and error method to locate for their cheese inside the maze. While the little people laid emphasis on the complex strategies their brains deployed. The labyrinth of corridors provided for a more than a fun kind of trail since it had both chambers containing cheese as well as dark alleys. It was easy for anyone to get lost. The mice wore their jogging suits and put on their running shoes and so did the little people. The cheese here is the epitome of success and happiness. Both the teams would sometimes bump into walls and dead ends but eventually would reach to a chamber with cheese and that made them content. The author calls the chamber with abundant cheese as Station C.

Environment of comfort

Every morning the mice would follow a precise routine. They would wake up early and follow the same route leading to Cheese station C. On reaching they would take off their running shoes and hang them around their necks and happily nibble on the cheese. Hem and Haw would do the same thing each day. They too woke up early and would reach the Cheese station C and end up eating up their share of cheese. But over time things changed with Hem and Haw. Since cheese was abundant, Hem and Haw started leaving a bit later in the day. They would reach the station leisurely and on arriving would put away their running shoes and comfortably eat up the cheese.  Sniff and Scurry on the other hand would follow the same routine every day. Wake up early, reach the station, check for changes from the previous day and then get down to nibbling. Hem and Haw weaved a comfort zone around them.

Change Strikes

One day on arriving at the Cheese Station C, Sniff and Scurry realized that there was no cheese around. They looked at each other, took of their running shoes off their shoulders and began to look for another cheese station. Their brains did not overanalyze the situation since they were aware of the reducing supply of the cheese day after day. Later the same day when Hem and Haw arrived they found that the cheese was absent, they went berserk. They couldn’t comprehend the strike. They began screaming and whining. They were so comfortable with the cheese that they never took notice of the declining availability of cheese in the chamber. They asked themselves “Who Moved My Cheese?”  Their complex brains revolved around the question and they sat in the chamber dejectedly and went away to their homes in the evening.

Hem and Haw returned every day to Station C with the hope that the Cheese would show up or somebody would keep it just like it was. But none of their hopes materialized. The Cheese station C remained empty. The little people would wait all day and scheme the possibility of retrieving the cheese. They even broke the wall with the imagination of the cheese being hid behind them but in vain. Eventually, they noticed that Sniff and Scurry weren’t seen around since a few days.

As for Sniff and Scurry they ran every day in search of new cheese. Sniffed and Scurried in the dark alleys and the corridors that they never visited but they were wishful and attempted to locate cheese with an attitude of positivity. They never complicated the matter and were simplistic in their view of the challenge. The Cheese had gone and they had to find new Cheese. (The same sentiment is echoed by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” under the sub category Foxes Vs Hedgehogs – You can check it here if you please)

Maze time

Haw was convinced that they had to move out of the depressing area which they would visit daily with high hopes. Meanwhile, Sniff and Scurry’s efforts paid off and they found a new reservoir of cheese at Station N. It had twice the cheese in comparison to station C and the quality was much better. They were very happy.

Hem had negative thoughts about going out in the maze that they didn’t know much of. Haw knew that the only way to get on with the situation was to get back in the maze even though it held great unknowns. Finally, Haw convinced Hem to get back in the maze to look out for new cheese. And Maze time it was! The complex brains of the little people held them back with eloquent reasoning on the issue which the mice with their simple brains were quick to respond.  

Hem and Haw did reach station N after some finding but the effort was worthy than the disappointment at the empty cheese corner. They met Sniff and Scurry and continued their quest of learning.

Some of Dr. Spencer’s Quotes

If you don’t change, You can become extinct!

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old

Movement in the right direction helps you find New cheese

When you stop being afraid you feel good

It is safer to search in the maze then remain in a cheese less situation

The book opened new horizons in me while approaching change with simple thought process. It is a great book and I strongly recommend you to read it.

Thanks for reading.