25/01/2026
Today I visited APOPO, a non-profit organization working in demining here in Cambodia, in Siem Reap.
They train rats to detect landmines.
At first, the reaction is almost ironic:
“Look at the rat. It finds the mine and gets a banana.”
And then something shifts.
The same animal we often judge lightly
is actually a powerful ally of humans,
saving lives by doing an extraordinary job.
Just seeing the same being through different eyes already changes something.
But while watching that mechanism — action, reward, repetition —
another question came up.
What about us?
How many times do we keep doing the same things
not because we consciously chose them,
but because we receive approval from someone
we’ve given power over our sense of worth?
A boss.
A partner.
A parent.
We do “the right thing,”
we get our banana,
and we keep going.
Thinking we are free,
while we’re often just responding to deeply conditioned reward systems.
This visit gave me much more than I expected.
Grateful to APOPO for the incredible work you do
and for the reflection you inspired.
If you’re ever in Siem Reap, go visit them.
It’s truly worth it.
