Allegorically, Dr. Spencer Johnson
Spencer Johnson
Patrick Spencer Johnson was an American physician and author, known for the ValueTales series of children's books, and for his 1998 motivational book Who Moved My Cheese?, which recurred on the New York Times Bestseller list, on the Publishers Weekly Hardcover nonfiction list. …
Who Moved My Cheese?
Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life, published on September 8, 1998, is a motivational business fable. The text describes change in one's work and life, and four typical reactions to those changes by two mice and two "little people", duri…
Who are the characters in the book “who moved my cheese?
Who are the characters in the book “Who Moved My Cheese”? In his book Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson tells a story of two mice; Sniff and Scurry as well as two little people called Hem and Haw. Sniff: Sniff is the more curious of the two mice and always pays attention to what’s going on around him.
Who is Haw in who moved my cheese?
Haw Of Hem and Haw in Who Moved My Cheese, Haw is the character who experiences the most change in the story. Initially, like Hem, he’s upset, overwhelmed and also in shock that the cheese has disappeared. At first, he follows Hem’s lead in sitting around complaining and waiting for the cheese to reappear.
What are the two mice called in who moved my cheese?
In his book Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson tells a story of two mice; Sniff and Scurry as well as two little people called Hem and Haw. Sniff: Sniff is the more curious of the two mice and always pays attention to what’s going on around him.
What happens to the cheese in who moved my cheese?
One day the maze dwellers, including Hem and Haw in Who Moved My Cheese, confront a crisis: The cheese is gone. All four characters must adapt in one way or another to their changed circumstances.
How to know when cheese is getting old?
Monitor Change: Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.
Is the narrative of the book "The Takeaways and Quotes" fast?
But the author doesn’t waste time with fluff; the narrative is crisp, the pacing is fast, and the packaging of those familiar takeaways and quotes is fresh and amusing.
Who moved my cheese book?
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson is a short book that follows four characters, Hem, Haw, Scurry, and Sniff, on their fictional journey through a maze to find cheese. Everyone will be able to learn something from this book, but the cheese lovers among us will be able to relate to this book on a spiritual level.
Does the author keep the plot moving forward?
As limited as that plot may be , the author does a great job at keeping the narrative compelling, the available plot moving forward, and the lessons relevant. The book can be a little on the nose at times, but it’s so self-aware that it works.
Is laughter the best medicine?
This will require a post of it’s own, but laughter is the best medicine.
What did Mice Sniff and Scurry notice?
In the story: Mice Sniff and Scurry noticed the cheese stockpile getting old and dwindling. They were ready (they kept their running shoes handy) to search for a new supply when the old one disappeared.
Why did Sniff and Scurry expect and prepare for even more change?
In the story: After finding the new cheese at the end of the book, Sniff and Scurry expected and prepared for even more change by continuing to explore new parts of the maze. Haw did the same thing, because he had learned from his mistakes and pledged not to be surprised by change again.
What do Haw and Hem say when they lose the cheese?
They sit around, waiting for the cheese to reappear, and they become increasingly frustrated when it doesn’t. Hem yells, “Who moved my cheese ?”
What did Haw find in the story?
In the story: Haw found bits of new kinds of cheese (eg brie instead of the cheddar he was used to), and he tried them and liked them. This gave him confidence to keep pushing forward to even better experiences. (He tried sharing the new types of cheese with Hem but Hem rejected them, saying he wanted only the types he was familiar with.)
How does Haw overcome his barriers?
In his journey, Haw overcomes his psychological barriers to adapting to change. He realizes that his fear of going back out to find new cheese was overblown — he had let the fear build up in his mind, and in reality, it wasn’t that bad. He encounters setbacks in the maze, but he realizes he’s still happier taking control rather than being a victim of his situation. He continues imagining enjoying new cheese, which motivates him to push further. As he learns each of these lessons, he writes messages on the wall for Hem to read, should he ever decide to search for new cheese himself.
What does cheese represent in the story?
The story takes place in a maze, where four characters search for and consume cheese. Cheese represents happiness or satisfaction in its various forms — for instance, security, prestige, or wealth.
How to imagine success?
When you imagine success, paint a picture in your mind of vivid detail. Think about how you’d behave in this new successful world. Imagine how you feel and how other people feel.
Who are the characters in the book “Who Moved My Cheese”?
In his book Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson tells a story of two mice; Sniff and Scurry as well as two little people called Hem and Haw.
What is the premise of the story "Sniff and Scurry"?
So the premise of this story is that every morning, Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw got up early, put on their favorite running shoes and ran around the maze looking for their favorite cheese. Sniff and Scurry used a trial-and-error approach to find the cheese. One would sniff while the other scurried about.
Why were mice not surprised when they arrived?
When the mice arrived that day, they were not surprised, because they had already seen that the cheese was getting less and less as they did their morning inspections.
What do the characters in the story Hem and Haw represent?
The two characters in the story, Hem and Haw, symbolize many of the emotions that we experience when faced with change. We have to deal with fear, skepticism, anger and finally acceptance. In this story, they just didn’t want to face the facts.
Where did Hem and Haw find the cheese?
Eventually both the mice and the little people found a generous amount of cheese located at Cheese Station C. All was going very well. They all went to Cheese Station C every morning, ate a lot of cheese and returned home every night. This went on for a while.
What is the most curious of the two mice?
Sniff: Sniff is the more curious of the two mice and always pays attention to what’s going on around him. He can sniff out change very early.
How can Haw learn to adapt?
Haw: Haw can learn how to adapt when he sees that change can lead to something better.
What do mice do with cheese?
The mice use their simple, rodent-specific talents of sniffing out cheese and scurrying around until they find it. Hem and Haw use their human thinking and analytical skills to also find cheese. They find a huge supply and all four enjoy its benefits for quite a while. One day the maze dwellers, including Hem and Haw in Who Moved My Cheese, ...
What does Hem feel when the cheese disappears?
Hem has come to regard the cheese as his entitlement. He feels he deserves it. When the cheese disappears, he complains about the unfairness. He gets angry and seeks someone to blame. Hem denies reality, believing and insisting to Haw that the cheese will reappear. Hem holds onto the past.
What does Haw do when he takes control of the cheese?
Taking control increases his confidence, and he starts to enjoy moving in a new direction. He finds some small pieces of new cheese, which he takes back to the starting point to share with Hem, but Hem isn’t interested in trying the new cheese or looking for more. He still just wants things to return to the way they used to be. Haw realizes he can’t change Hem — Hem will have to change himself, or not.
Why do they monitor the situation and check around for new supplies?
Even with new cheese at hand, they monitor the situation and check around for new supplies because they know things will change again.
Why are they not surprised at the change?
They’re not surprised at the change because they noticed it happening. They stayed observant and noticed that the cheese was getting old and the pile was shrinking. They’re ready to act because they’ve stayed alert and anticipated change.
Who moved my cheese hem and haw?
Who are Hem and Haw in Who Moved My Cheese? Hem and Haw are the two human characters in the parable.
Can Haw change Hem?
Haw realizes he can’t change Hem — Hem will have to change himself, or not. Haw returns to his search for new cheese and finally comes upon the large new stockpile that the mice had found earlier. After celebrating success, he reflects on the experience and pledges to anticipate change and adapt quickly in the future.
What does it mean when Hem and Haw overthink their approach to obtaining the cheese?
They plan, scheme and think about all the ways they can get the cheese. This overthinking means that often they do not get the cheese. Their plans backfire and they get stuck in their existing situation.
What do Hem and Haw find in the story?
At one point in the story Hem and Haw find a huge stash of cheese. Pleased their plans have finally paid off. They enjoy cheese and become very comfortable. However soon the cheese starts to run out. The two mice were still experimenting and learning. They had noticed the cheese had started to run out. The people, however, were blind to the problems ahead. Their comfortable surroundings had blinded them to what was really going on.
What does cheese represent in the book?
Cheese is used as a metaphor throughout the book. Cheese represents what you want in life - a good job, a loving relationship, money or a possession.
What is sniffing in psychology?
Sniffs - High awareness. They can sense change quickly and identify possible opportunities.
How to overcome fear of change?
One way to overcome this fear is to visualize your goals. Create a compelling vision that can help you see a better future. In the story, one of the people gains confidence through this visualisation and starts to search for new cheese. Once they start, they realise change isn’t so bad. They learn that the more they change the easier it becomes. They learn the skills of change.
Who wrote the book "Forever Employable"?
One final point. I would highly recommend Forever Employable by Jeff Gothelf. This book shares practical ways you can embrace change in your career and stay employable.
Is fear of change worse than reality?
Fear of change is worse than reality . Our own mind can freeze us from making a change.
The Cheese
The Length
- This is a short story. Don’t be surprised if you knock it out in one or two sittings. The text is a touch larger than you’d expect, the major takeaways take up an entire page, and the book does a good job of utilizing white space.
The Lessons
- This story is about fear, change, growth, and vigilance. The takeaways and quotes will largely be variations of lessons you’ve heard before. But the author doesn’t waste time with fluff; the narrative is crisp, the pacing is fast, and the packaging of those familiar takeaways and quotes is fresh and amusing.
The Story
- The book is broken down into three different sections: A Gathering, The Story, and A Discussion. The vast majority of the book is taken up by “The Story” so that’s what we’ll focus on here. The story arc is incredibly well done for such a short book. Our hero, Haw, is a “little person” who is at odds with his good friend Hem. They’ve run out of cheese at “Cheese Station C” and must enter t…
Quotes and Criticism
- This section contains a spoiler. The lessons are the emphasis of this book, not the story, but I thought that should be included anyways. After fighting procrastination, fear, hunger, and plenty of doubt, our hero Haw finally finds what he’s looking for: A new cheese station full of cheese! As he’s reflecting upon his own personal growth he decides to go the largest wall of Cheese Statio…
Laughter Is The Best Medicine
- This will require a post of it’s own, but laughter is the best medicine. The author consistently reinforces the importance of laughter. That is something we could use a lot more of in this day and age. If we could all take ourselves a little less seriously and laugh a little more there would be a lot less rage, sadness, and anxiety in the world.
Final Thoughts
- If you read the above cheesy quotes and got turned off don’t be. The book has a very real message: conquer your fears, anticipate change, and adapt to the changing world around you. The concise (and entertaining) narrative coupled with that message is why this book has over 10 million copies in print. Your non-reading friends won’t be put off by it’s length and the lessons ar…