Book Summary: Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

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General Thoughts

A cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency and the importance of embracing change, Who Moved My Cheese? is a fun little read, although it offers nothing you likely haven’t read before.

What Is Who Moved My Cheese About?

Who Moved My Cheese? is a parable about change that takes place in a Maze where four characters look for “Cheese”—cheese being a metaphor for what we want in life.

The four imaginary characters depicted in the story—the mice: “Sniff” and “Scurry,” and the Littlepeople: “Hem” and “Haw”—are intended to represent the simple and the complex parts of ourselves.

Whatever parts of us we choose to use, we all share something in common: a need to find our way in the Maze and succeed in changing times.

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Who Moved My Cheese? Summary

Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw are four characters that live in a dark, elaborate maze, each searching for their own special cheese to nourish them.

The mice, Sniff and Scurry, use the simple trial-and-error method of finding cheese. The two Littlepeople, Hem and Haw, rely on their complex brains to develop more sophisticated strategies of finding Cheese. But due to Hem and Haw’s beliefs, their emotions often take over and cloud the way they look at things, making life in the maze overly complicated and challenging.

One morning, both mice and the Littlepeople locate their favorite type of cheese at the end of one of the corridors in Cheese Station C. Every morning after that, the mice head over there to feast, waking early each morning and following the same route, establishing a routine in the process.

In the beginning, Hem and Haw also race to Cheese Station C every morning. However, over time, the two Littlepeople arrive later and later, confident that the cheese will always be there.

One morning, the mice arrive at Cheese Station C and notice that there is no cheese. They aren’t surprised. Since Sniff and Scurry noticed the supply of cheese dwindling every day, the mice are prepared for the inevitable and know what to do.

To the mice, the problem and the answer are both simple. The situation at Cheese Station C has changed. So, Sniff and Scurry decide to change. Before long, they scurry off in search of New Cheese in the maze.

Meanwhile, Hem and Haw, who have failed to notice the small changes taking place each day, arrive at Cheese Station C. Both refuse to accept that the cheese is gone. The two rant about the injustice of the situation and question how such a situation could have even arisen. Haw suggests a search for New Cheese, but Hem rejects his proposal.

While Hem and Haw evaluate the decision, Sniff and Scurry go further into the maze and discover “Cheese Station N,” along with the biggest store of cheese the mice have ever seen.

Meanwhile, Hem and Haw grow frustrated and blame each other for their situation. Inspired by the mice, Haw again proposes a search for new cheese. However, Hem is comforted by his comfortable routine and rejects the idea once more.

After living in denial for some time, the Littlepeople go without cheese, growing weaker from hunger with each passing day. Finally, one day, Haw laughs at himself, realizing that both he and Haw keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things don’t get better. Knowing that he is finally able to laugh at himself, let go and move on, Haw enters the maze, but not before chiseling “If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct” on the wall of Cheese Station C for his friend to consider.

During the next several days, Haw finds a little Cheese here and there, but nothing that lasts very long. Haw looks back on things and realizes that the Cheese at Cheese Station C had not just disappeared overnight, as he had once believed. Instead, the amount of cheese that had been there toward the end had been getting smaller, although he had been in denial about what was coming.

Haw decides he will stay more alert from now on. He expects change to happen and looks for it, and will trust his basic instincts to sense when change will occur and adapt as necessary.

After many empty cheese stations, Haw brushes aside his fears and decides to go back for Hem with the few bits of New Cheese he has found. Hem declines his friend’s gesture to leave, stating, “I don’t think I would like New Cheese. It’s not what I’m used to. I want my own Cheese back, and I’m not going to change until I get what I want.”

Dejected, Haw returns to the farthest point he had reached in the maze but feels stronger than ever, safe in the knowledge that he’s no longer letting fear rule his life. After finding little bits of Cheese here and there, Haw leaves a trail of writings on the wall to clarify his own thinking and serve as a marked trail for Hem should he ever choose to leave Cheese Station C.

One day, Hem discovers Cheese Station N, abundant with cheese, including some new varieties, and sees his old friends Sniff and Scurry. After eating, Hem considers returning to Cheese Station C to see if he can show Haw how to get out of his predicament but realizes that he had already tried to get his friend to change. Hem realizes that Haw has to find his own way, beyond his comforts and past his fears. No one else can do it for him or talk him into it. He somehow has to see the advantage of changing himself.

Finding the largest wall in Cheese Station N, Hem writes on the wall,

Change Happens. They Keep Moving The Cheese
Anticipate Change. Get Ready For The Cheese To Move
Monitor Change. Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old.
Adapt To Change Quickly. The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese
Change. Move With The Cheese
Enjoy Change! Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!
Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again. They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Haw then hears what he thinks is the sound of movement out in the Maze, and as the noise grows louder, he realizes that someone is coming. Haw prays and hopes—as he had many times before—that maybe, at last, Hem has found the way…

Who Moved My Cheese? Key Takeaways

There’s a difference between activity and productivity.
Getting out of your comfort zone makes adapting to change easier.
Fear that you let build up in your mind is far worse than the situation that exists.
When you change what you believe, you change what you do.
The fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly—then you can let go and quickly move on.
You have to find your own way, beyond your comforts and past your fears. No one else can do it for you, or talk you into it. You have to see the advantage of changing yourself.
It’s safer to be aware of your real choices than to isolate yourself in your comfort zone.