Who Moved My Cheese?

“Each of us has our own idea of what Cheese is, and we pursue it because we believe it makes us happy. If we get it, we often become attached to it. And if we lose it, or it’s taken away, it can be traumatic. The ‘Maze’ in the story represents where you spend time looking for what you want. It can be the organization you work in, the community you live in, or the relationships you have in your life.” 

In the Maze of life, we find the Cheese we desire and then settle in to enjoy it. When the Cheese disappears, we waste a lot of time being upset about it. A spouse leaves, a job ends, a health problem erupts: Stuff can happen anywhere. The book’s fable applies to everyone who experiences sudden loss or disruption.

“Everyone knows that not all change is good or even necessary. But in a world that is constantly changing, it is to our advantage to learn how to adapt and enjoy something better.” 

Change isn’t a virtue in itself, but responding well to change is a worthwhile trait. Change usually brings with it opportunities, not merely to adapt to and survive an alteration of our life’s conditions, but to take advantage of the new possibilities made available by the change. Thus, change not only isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes, it’s a chance to improve our lives.

“Every day the mice and the Littlepeople spent time in the Maze looking for their own special cheese. The mice, Sniff and Scurry, possessing simple brains and good instincts, searched for the hard nibbling cheese they liked, as mice often do. The two Littlepeople, Hem and Haw, used their complex brains, filled with many beliefs and emotions, to search for a very different kind of Cheese-with a capital C—which they believed would make them feel happy and successful.”

The four characters—two mice and two tiny humans—live in a Maze and search for the cheese that will make them happy. The mice apparently know what they’re doing and are accustomed to the ongoing search for cheese. The humans, much more complex creatures, already seem prepared to make their lives more difficult. Where the mice know what they’re looking for, the Littlepeople merely have theories about what they want and how to get it.

“All [the Littlepeople] could think of was to keep looking around Cheeseless Station C to see if the Cheese was really gone. While Sniff and Scurry had quickly moved on, Hem and Haw continued to hem and haw. They ranted and raved at the injustice of it all.”

The Littlepeople, stuck in the past where their Cheese used to be, gripe and moan about how unfair it is not to have their Cheese anymore. They do anything and everything except looking for new Cheese. The mice, much simpler creatures, already are searching for more cheese.

“Haw suggested, ‘Maybe we should simply stop analyzing the situation so much and go find some New Cheese?’ ‘Oh no,’ Hem argued. ‘I’m going to get to the bottom of this.’” 

Sometimes people are so smart, they outsmart themselves, the parable argues. While the brainy Hem and Haw argue about what to do, the simple mice Sniff and Scurry already are halfway to a new cache of cheese. The humans have come to believe they deserve a never-ending supply of Cheese, and that its disappearance is a moral outrage. To his credit, Haw is beginning to think that the smart thing to do is be like the mice and simply go out and find more Cheese.

“Sometimes, Haw would imagine Sniff and Scurry finding New Cheese and enjoying it. He thought about how good it would be for him to be out on an adventure in the Maze, and to find fresh New Cheese. He could almost taste it.” 

By imagining himself enjoying the adventure of finding new Cheese, Haw takes a step forward into a better life. His dream gets postponed when Hem convinces him that such a quest would be too dangerous. Still, that first idea of a better future is working its way deeper into Haw’s awareness, nudging him with a new vision.

“Finally, one day Haw began laughing at himself. ‘Haw, haw, look at us. We keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things don’t get better. If this wasn’t so ridiculous, it would be even funnier.’” 

Haw realizes a truth about humans made famous by the old adage that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. He’s beginning to come out of his slump about having no cheese. He also feels lighter; his laughter symbolizes the other meaning for his name (in place of "ha ha") and connotes cheerful possibilities.

“Haw did not like the idea of having to run through the Maze again, because he knew he would get lost and have no idea where he would find any Cheese. But he had to laugh at his folly when he saw what his fear was doing to him.” 

With the loss of their Cheese, both Hem and Haw have done everything except the one thing that would help them get more Cheese, which is to explore more of the Maze in a search for a new supply of Cheese. Haw finally realizes that what keeps him from renewing the search is fear of the unknown, especially the mysteries of the Maze. He decides that this fear interferes with his ability to explore his world anew. The message here is that people shouldn’t let fear dictate their actions. 

“I didn’t want to see it either, but now I realize they’re never going to put yesterday’s Cheese back. It’s time to find New Cheese.” 

It finally dawns on Haw that hoping someone will replace their Cheese is wishful thinking. Waiting for the Cheese to reappear is pointless. Rather than feeling hopeless and not taking action in the face of change, the parable dictates, one should seek out new possibilities. 

“Haw said, ‘Sometimes, Hem, things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times. That’s life! Life moves on. And so should we.’” 

Haw breaks free of his mental shackles. He realizes that good things like Cheese don’t always stay put, and that, when they change, sometimes they never change back, no matter how much we might wish for them to do so. He also sees that, if he wants more Cheese, his main option is uncomplicated: He can simply go out and look for it.

“He knew sometimes some fear can be good. When you are afraid things are going to get worse if you don’t do something, it can prompt you into action. But it is not good when you are so afraid that it keeps you from doing anything.” 

For Haw, the biggest block to moving forward is his fear. Fear is a motivator, but it can cause people to hesitate for too long. No one succeeds through inaction.

“Whenever he started to get discouraged, he reminded himself that what he was doing, as uncomfortable as it was at the moment, was in reality much better than staying in the Cheeseless situation. He was taking control, rather than simply letting things happen to him. Then he reminded himself, if Sniff and Scurry could move on, so could he!” 

Searching is better than standing still. In doing so, the mind begins to learn from the experience and gets a better handle on the situation. Haw begins to understand that the process doesn’t have to be complicated or daunting: If two mice can do it, it’s a simpler problem than people believe, and inaction offers a worse fate than action. 

“He decided he would stay more alert from now on. He would expect change to happen and look for it. He would trust his basic instincts to sense when change was going to occur and be ready to adapt to it.” 

Haw resolves to avoid future complacency, which is how he got into this situation in the first place. He’ll also trust his gut more and his fancy ideas less. Next time, he’ll be ready to jump when the Cheese runs out. Haw has learned to adapt to change. 

“Haw started to paint a picture in his mind again. He saw himself in great realistic detail, sitting in the middle of a pile of all his favorite cheeses-from Cheddar to Brie! He saw himself eating the many cheeses he liked, and he enjoyed what he saw. Then he imagined how much he would enjoy all their great tastes. The more clearly he saw the image of himself enjoying New Cheese, the more real and believable it became. He could sense that he was going to find it.” 

By imaging a wonderful future full of Cheese, Haw makes it more real to his mind, which will begin to search for ways to bring about that vision. With time and repetition, this process advances a personal dream from doubt to expectation. Before long, the mind simply assumes that the vision is part of the person’s life, and a natural optimism arises about the future.

“Haw realized again, as he had once before, that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.” 

Worrying about possible dangers drains people’s natural courage. Even setbacks can be handled; fears hide from us the truth that inaction, even to avoid possible trouble, is riskier than taking action. Searches rarely are disastrous, but disasters from sitting and waiting are common.

“Perhaps most importantly, he realized that there is always New Cheese out there whether you recognize it at the time, or not. And that you are rewarded with it when you go past your fear and enjoy the adventure.” 

Having found a new cache of Cheese, Haw reflects that the barrier to that discovery was inside him, not outside. His fears and unworkable beliefs prevented him from making the simple effort to find a new stash. Old Cheese will run out, go stale, or disappear, but new Cheese awaits and rewards a committed search.

“He knew some fear should be respected, as it can keep you out of real danger. But he realized most of his fears were irrational and had kept him from changing when he needed to.”

Often the biggest block to forward progress is fear. The old way is no more, but that’s where safety lay, and the mind wants to return to that good place. The new way thus feels much more dangerous than it actually is. Risks are real, and caution is worthwhile, but standing still generates only an illusion of safety.

“He didn’t like it at the time, but he knew that the change had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it led him to find better Cheese. He had even found a better part of himself.” 

Settled into their routines, people become accustomed to the payoffs and begin to believe that this is the best place for them, when in fact it might be inferior to a better option out in the world. When the expected ways come to an end, many are surprised to find that their next situation turns out better than the old one. Thus, alertness rather than complacency becomes a better strategy, and change begins to look like an opportunity instead of a penalty.

“Then Angela asked the group good-naturedly, ‘So, who were you in the story? Sniff, Scurry, Hem or Haw?’” 

The Cheese story is a parable that invites readers to consider how they would react if they were in the Maze with no Cheese. Everyone has aspects of Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw in their nature, and knowing which of the four is most prominent in one’s makeup can be a step toward personal growth. Though most readers probably have a lot of Haw in them, they benefit from seeing how the other three characters make decisions and how they, too, might, in the future, better respond to crises.

“They said holding a picture of New Cheese in their minds—seeing themselves doing well in a new job—made them feel better, and helped them do better in job interviews. Several got better jobs.”

Just as Haw practiced seeing himself with plenty of Cheese, those laid off at Michael’s company visualized themselves successfully enrolled in new, satisfying jobs. Such visualization techniques reset the mind so that it focuses, not on an upsetting loss, but on the encouraging possibilities that lie ahead. Thus, the Cheese story teaches not only to accept the reality of the current situation, but also to prepare mentally to move toward a better future.

“Laura asked, ‘What about the people who remained in your company?’ ‘Well,’ Michael said, ‘instead of complaining about the changes that were happening, people now said, ‘They just moved our Cheese. Let’s look for the New Cheese.’ It saved a lot of time and reduced stress.”

A thorough group discussion about how they’ll respond to new problems can help a team solidify around a few basic principles, especially those expressed in the Cheese story. Once everyone is onboard and a crisis or other challenge arises—when, in short, the old Cheese disappears—they’ll be able more easily to work together to discover new resources. By simplifying the process of adapting to change—sidestepping the time-wasting anger, finger-pointing, doubt, and fear—and moving forward together in the search for new ways to achieve goals, people can arrive at solutions to problems in the time it takes others to hem and haw about it.

“Becky asked, ‘So how were things different after people heard the Cheese story?’ Michael said simply, ‘The peer pressure changed. No one wanted to look like Hem!’” 

When most of a group changes its direction, the rest usually will come along. A shift from backward-looking dismay to forward-looking optimism can be contagious. The Hem approach might at first seem reasonable, but later it looks foolish.

“They wanted to sniff out the changes ahead of time and scurry into action, rather than get hemmed in and be left behind.” 

Michael discovers that people who have heard the Cheese story begin to respond to sudden upheavals with the simple attitude of Sniff and Scurry, who simply search for new sources to replace those that have disappeared. The human tendency to overthink problems can slow progress toward solutions. Much of the complexity comes from trying to resist change, whereas embracing new situations lets people move directly toward new opportunities.