How to Train Your Flea: Also Called Controlling Others

Have you ever tried to train a flea? As odd as that may sound, the concept is not only real—it’s incredibly instructive. The process is simple. You place a flea—or perhaps a flock of fleas (though I’m not convinced “flock” is the technical term)—into a Mason jar and seal the lid tightly. You then leave the jar alone for three full days. After that time, you unscrew the lid. Here’s the shocking part: the flea will not escape. It will jump—but never high enough to leave the jar. It has been trained. Conditioned. Even without the lid, it now believes it cannot be free. Even more sobering: if you have two fleas of the opposite sex, their offspring will be the same. Though they’ve never encountered the lid, they, too, will not escape. It’s a generational curse. Fleas born into captivity stay there—even when the top is off.