At breakfast the visiting novice monk sat next to one of the senior abbots.

“Why are there so few women in this temple?” asked the novice monk.

“Because very few girls apply for admittance anymore,” replied the abbot.

“Why is that?” asked the novice monk.

“Because it is widely known that most girls do not meet our rigorous standards,” replied the abbot.

“Why is that?” asked the novice monk.

“Because productivity requires harmony, and many female applicants are a poor fit for our culture,” replied the abbot. “Indeed, most have wasted the time we invested in them by leaving soon after arriving.”

“Why is that?” asked the novice monk.

“Because they were unhappy here, and did not work well with the monks,” replied the abbot.

“Why is that?” asked the novice monk.

“Because like so many great temples, the culture of this temple is a boy’s culture: rough and rude, cruel and crude, in work and in play,” replied the abbot.

“Why is that?” asked the novice monk.

“Because there are so few women in this temple,” replied the abbot.

Extracted from The Codeless Code – Feedback