My Piece of the Elephant

Posted on by Michele Morin

Long ago and far away there were six men, wise indeed, but, alas, they were all without sight.  An opinionated lot, every one, in the course of their wanderings, they happened to meet an elephant, standing squarely in the center of their path.

Feeling duty-bound to report on his discovery, the first wise man gripped one of the massive beast’s sharp tusks and declared, “It is stunning how much an elephant resembles a spear.”

The second wise man, equally confident, reached out until his hands connected with one large and floppy ear.  “Nay,” he retorted, “you are mistaken, for ‘tis clear to me that elephantine nature is like that of a fan.  Already I feel the cooling of air around me as this fine elephant sweeps back and forth.”

The third wise man could no longer hold his peace, for he had meandered off to the rear and found the elephant’s tail.  “Neither a spear nor a fan, my brothers, could take this shape or form.  Obviously, an elephant is like a rope.”

And so the story proceeds with one sightless hypothesis revolving around the muscular snake-like trunk, another enthusiastic theory about its tree-trunk legs, and a final proclamation that the body mass was surely a broad and impassable wall.

Each was partially right, but all were in the wrong. 

Underneath this ancient story’s observation about human nature lies a chilling truth about the perils of logic on this broken ground. To save time and energy in its quest for certainty, the brain will hide its own biases from itself. All the while believing in the thoroughness of our research, we immerse ourselves in evidence that does nothing but confirm our preconceptions.

A minute’s thought will reveal the six wise men had all they needed to correct their narrow perspective:  the observations of the other five.  A move to the right or to the left, a hand extended to a broader reach, or a question posed to a nearby brother:

“What do you mean, it feels like a rope?  Here, put your hand on THIS and see what you think!”

Any of these would have changed the whole story.

Research indicates diverse groups have the ability to reveal hidden biases. What this looks like here on the ground is that if I share my piece of the elephant, while also listening to my sister’s thoughts on elephant morphology, we both get a more accurate view of the beast in question.

Capture

This month, we’re sharing our thoughts on The Elephant in the Room over at SheLoves Magazine. I’m thankful for the people in my life who rescue me from the blindness of a singular seeing — who keep me from reenacting the elephant story in my own time.  I would love it if you clicked on over to SheLoves to finish reading the rest of my post.  And I hope that while you’re there you’ll share your thoughts, because we do need each other’s voices.

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Beginning September 7th, I’ll be hosting a discussion group focused on Wendell Berry’s  Jayber Crow.  His story spans much of 20th century American history and demonstrates the poignancy of this quote from his musings:

“Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful.  There is always more to tell than can be told.”

 

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and five adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

51 thoughts on “My Piece of the Elephant”

  1. It does increasingly seem like we are all screaming into our own echo chambers. No one is willing to even listen to the other side anymore, but this is also creating a lot of chaos and upheaval. I’m going to head over to She Loves to read the rest of this post. #mg

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Clever!! I discussed this with our ministry leadership team last night. It seems as though the days of interesting conversation and perspective-taking are over–at least within the confines of mainstream media. As a people, we’re so quick to feel threatened, to react in an angry haste, that we miss the beauty in our differences…the soft underside of the elephant’s ear. I pray that God will use your discussion to soften hearts everywhere Michele!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Meg, thank you for this insight into your own struggles in the real world with ministry leadership and media overwhelm. Praying along with you that somehow we will all gather around the soft underside of the elephant’s ear and find common life — even if we cannot find common ground.

      Like

  10. Michele, what. Powerful post! Your words remind me of the importance of not passing judgment on others based on the little I can see. When I can look at those different from myself with God’s eyes and listen to them with an open heart, that’s when God can move in me, in relationships, and in how I reflect Jesus.

    Loved this!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. It is so true what you say, that our hidden bias affects how we see things, I find great joy in hearing others thoughts and perspectives. #mg

    Liked by 1 person

  18. This insight really ties into our current national situation as it relates to racial divisiveness. I want us all to be able to reach out and hear the other. This may be the start but there’s more. Thanks for making me think further about this.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It does, and I was grateful that SheLoves editors thought to share it on the heels of the tragedy and mayhem. (It had been scheduled for later, but we moved it at the last minute.) Thanks for being willing to think along with me. We have a long way to go.

      Like

  22. I used this elephant analogy when I taught philosophy…so much we think we have figured out…until we feel around a little bit more and open our eyes and ears to other people’s thoughts. It’s the ONLY way to make our own beliefs stronger…to test their mettle against the rest. Yes, “To save time and energy in its quest for certainty, the brain will hide its own biases from itself.”…we do this and we cannot afford to in times like these.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Irony is that while I’m reading this, I have a guest speaker in my classroom talking to my students about communicating our world to each other and empathizing! How apropo! Thanks Michele – as always, you present great stuff.
    #inspirememonday

    Liked by 2 people

  28. Michele, I left a comment at SheLoves, but I wanted to leave one here as well. SUCH a good post. I’ve always loved the poem about the men and the elephant, but your post brings home the wisdom there in new ways. Thank you so much for linking it at the Grace at Home party; I’m featuring you this week!

    Liked by 1 person

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