Jojimar Kenneth M.

Gonowon
Pre-Postulant
August 5, 2014

Who Moved My Cheese?

by Dr. Spencer Johnson M.D.
Introduction
The author of the book is Dr. Spencer Johnson, M.D. He is an international bestselling
author whose book helps millions of people discover simple truths they can use to have
healthier lives with more success and less stress. 1 This book is an edition published in the
United Kingdom in 1999 by Vermilion Press, an imprint of Ebury Press Random House, 20
Vauxhaul Bridge Road, London and reissued in 2002.2
He has written many bestseller books in which inspired people in different walks of life. His
education includes a B.A in Psychology from the University of Southern California, an M.D.
Degree from the Royal Surgeons, and medical clerkships at Harvard Medical School and the
Mayo Clinic.
His books are over eleven million copies and have produced and translated in eleven
different languages. Moreover, Dr. Johnson has written may best sellers, including five other
books in the One Minute Series: The One Minute $ales Person, The One Minute Mother, The
One Minute Father, The One Minute For Yourself, The One Minute Teacher; Yes or No; the
popular Values Tales childrens books; and the perennial gift favorite, The Precious Present.
Summary
The main idea of the story is how to respond to series of change. People are afraid to
give themselves to change. This story somehow explains very well how people react and being
intimidated by the word change. People tend to be uncomfortable in their everyday life. People
in our times become more comfortable in their work, way of living, in their diet, exercise and
their hobbies. This is not really a good indication of being well. Some of the other them for
change is good. Sometimes, there is no avenue to get within change and without it; it will leave
you behind in our daily activities and especially in our job.
There are four characters in the story. They search for cheese and they are within the
maze to find their own way towards the cheese. There are two mice that are name Sniff and
Scurry. There are also two little people that are the same size as the mice namely Hem and
Haw. The cheese that they are looking for is basically a metaphor for what we want in our
lives. This can be applicable to all. It may be in our job, physical activities, hobbies, or even in
the relationship.
This cheese can be addictive and if we are not observant and meticulous. We could
become attached on these things. The maze represents where we spent our time looking for the
cheese. This could be the work that we are doing.
1 Johnson, Spencer M. D., Who Moved My Cheese, Authors Introduction, London: Vermilion, 1998. p.
iii
2 Johnson, Spencer, M.D., p. i

The moral of this story is that life is ever changing. Every aspect of our lives is
constantly changing and if we refuse or deny this change, we are denying ourselves the right to
live a more fulfilling life. This same message can be applied to work as well. When we refuse
to acknowledge the change that is happening, we are denying ourselves a more fulfilling life
where coping with change is key to survival.
Critique
Dr. Spencer Johnson is one of the greatest people in the world because he really gave
the situation of what is going today. People in the corporate world, in my experience, tend to
change their jobs due to new administration and set of rules. The average person changes their
jobs over three times in their terms. This is so true to other institution. Their reason was they do
not want to keep their sane jobs for their entire life. The author gave an importance of readiness
and preparedness in the work that we left behind.
In my opinion, the author must not have used the characters as the mice being the
model of the story. It will give confusion to the readers that mice were described as pest or they
carry certain kind of diseases. The book itself is definitely a short one and will give you the
tendency to go back because the details are not stated in the every chapter. You will give
somehow a time to browse again the previous chapter to recall the details.
It seems the ending of the book was not that complete and never gave an insight on
what Hew should do on what he had found. I felt like Hew was giving to make the same
mistake just like before.
Reflection
After reading this book, it made me think of things: Before I read this book, I did have
an idea regarding change. It gave me the idea of what Heraclitus said in his Dictum,We
cannot step on the river twice. The only permanent in this world is change. From this we can
give some idea from Heraclitus but we can end that will pave way for my reflection in this
book.
I was also unaware that there are many more things you can make a routine and be left
behind besides work. Your community, friends, relationships, and activities are all thing that
can leave you behind if youre not careful or willing to change. We must be ready at all times
in choosing what we like and what we do. In those choices, it will definitely give us the idea of
assuming the things that we want to do. We want to be successful in life, but because of detour,
we can do other things aside from what we are giving into our goal. Chances were given to
us in our experiences. All we have to do is to accept these experiences and own it as ours. Our
experiences do not make us so little yet, we can be better as before as fully equipped and
lesson learned experience. We must not forget to reflect on things, as Edmund Husserl about
his phenomenology, our experiences are so much pregnant in meaning. All we have to do is to
translate it into a depth experience with something realizations and meaning in each
experience. From there, these experiences will not be called as sense experiences but a depth
experiences that would add to our being as individual creation.
Permanence and Change are the things that we must remember. There would be always
a change in this world and there is permanence. The only permanent in our lives when it comes

to wisdom is our drive to know and our drive to adopt in change. The detouring will make us
experience the other road less travelled yet it can also lead us in the way that we are hoping for.