“Office politics are a fact of life in any organization. It's important to be savvy about them, but it's even more important to never participate in them. When you engage in gossip, backstabbing, or other negative behaviors, you not only compromise your own integrity, but you also diminish the productivity and effectiveness of the team as a whole." - Marillyn Hewson, former CEO of Lockheed Martin

Introduction

Animal Spirits is a story that most office workers can relate to, especially for those who work in a highly competitive industry. The story uses animal characters as protagonists to portray how greed, self-centredness, moral debasement, sexual debauchery, and ruthlessness become the driving force for those who are authoritative in the power hierarchy when they devise diabolical schemes to cow the weak and pliant ones into submission, attendance to their narcissism and delivery of the spoils of their schemes. The definition of a victor for those who are narcissistic and power-hungry means one who is able to have what he wills with impunity and without being reproached as to its appropriateness.

Machiavellian Office Politicians

Cut throat competition at workplace leading to toxic work culture

Thrust of the Story

Animal Spirits is a story about greed, self-centredness, deceit, exploitation of the weak and the unfolding of a diabolical plot perpetuated by the main villainous protagonist to murder the key holder to a large fortune and lay the blame of murder on the other ambitious self-serving villains. Animal characters were used in this story to caricaturise and personify the moral debasement, debauchery and total disregard of ethics and etiquette that drive those higher up in the power-control hierarchy to seek self-aggrandisement and personal financial enrichment. This story unfolds in an office setting where protagonists of differing job status within the power-control hierarchy compete, mutually exploit, and upend each other by forming alliances of convenience and formulating self-serving subterfuge.

Wolf, the main villainous protagonist is at the top of this power-control hierarchy. Wolf indulges in debauchery, plots, schemes and planned execution of actions that are diabolical in intent and impact. Bitch as the description implies is one female protagonist who is bend on achieving her self-serving goals no matter what sacrifices that she must make. The grapevine in the office is rife with rumours of the Bitch trading sexual gratifications for favours and advantages. Crocodile and eagle are the other contenders for position, power and financial enrichment in this power-control game of domination and subjugation. Despite being shrouded in the grey of evil intent, the forces of good and decent still live on in this office.  Monkey leads the pack of animals that are meek, and pliant to the whims and fancy of the villainous protagonists in this story. Monkey being up righteous and conscientious in treating everyone with fairness and respect, was tasked with safeguarding the access to the most sought after resource in the office. Every evil protagonist wants to lay their hands on this highly prized resource. 

Monkey and some of the meeker animals were found dead by poisoning in the office. Every animal character known to be devoid of values of decency and compassion became instant suspect. Wolf who taunted Monkey before his untimely death with premonition. Wolf laid trap for crocodile, eagle and bitch to outdo each other before one of them was killed in the scuffle. Being the master in connivance, Wolf set up trails that seemingly point to the last of the 2 evil characters as prime suspect for the murder of Monkey.

Can Wolf get away scot-free with murder and unlock Monkey’s guarded access to the prized resource? The ending is bewildering to say the least. Wolf was in vain, he did not get what he had planned for. Instead, he met his just desert. The last laugh belonged to Monkey as his ghost returns to haunt and chide Wolf for destroying the only access link to the prized resources that he was guarding. There was never a key to the resource that Wolf and the rest of the villains were looking for. The access to the prized resource was a password that will never be uncovered with Monkey’s demise.

Moral of the Story

Animal Spirits story is a cautionary tale about the perils of office politics and how those who engage in unscrupulous behaviour will eventually face the consequences of their actions. Through the characterization of various animal characters, the story highlights how those who are crafty, and scheming will often rise to the top of the hierarchy and exploit those who are beneath them for their own self-serving interests.

At the heart of this story is the central conflict between good and evil, represented by Monkey and Wolf respectively. Wolf, who is depicted as gay and sexually deviant, rises to the top of the hierarchy by exploiting those beneath him and engaging in dirty office politics. He ultimately kills Monkey, who was known for his up righteousness and integrity, to steal the key to the office's riches.

However, the forces of good ultimately triumph over evil in this story. Crocodile, who initially stumbled upon the scene of Monkey's murder, but did nothing out of fear for Wolf. Crocodile was framed for the murder of Monkey by a diabolical scheme concocted by Wolf. Meanwhile, Monkey's ghostly apparitions that appear before Wolf when Wolf failed to unlock access to the riches of the office that he wanted badly to steal. Monkey’s apparitions serve as a reminder that good will always triumph over evil and that the divine has a plan for keeping the equilibrium in the mortal world.

The moral of this story is that those who engage in selfish and narrow-minded behaviour will eventually face the consequences of their actions. In the end, the forces of good will always triumph over evil and this is the will of the divine, which serves to maintain balance and stability in the world. Those who choose to engage in unethical behaviour may temporarily prosper, but they will ultimately face the consequences of their actions and be brought to justice. This serves as a warning to all those who would seek to exploit their fellow colleagues and engage in dirty office politics.

In Conclusion

Animal Spirits is a captivating cautionary tale that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. With its rich symbolism and intricate plot, this book is a must-read for anyone who has ever worked in an office setting or dealt with office politics. The story offers valuable insights into the dark side of human nature, while also providing a powerful reminder that good will always triumph over evil. So don't wait any longer, pick up a copy of Animal Spirits today and join Monkey in his quest to restore balance and justice to the world of office politics. Your future self will thank you for it.