To Find The Truth, Look Somewhere Else

So the parable goes, five blind men were shown an elephant and asked what they “saw.”  The first blind man, standing in front of the elephant, carefully examined the trunk.  "It’s a large hosepipe," he reported.  The second blind man, standing at the back of the elephant, examined the tail and reported that it was a brush made up of long, wiry strands.  The third blind man, standing at the side of the elephant said that, without a doubt, what he was standing before was a large leather wall.  The fourth blind man, examining the elephant’s ear said that he believed he was standing before some sort of sailing vessel because of the large, durable sail he could feel.  The fifth blind man, standing at one of the elephant’s legs, was convinced he was standing next to a tree trunk.

When each heard the other report what the object before them was, each blind man argued from their own perspective and their own experience.  And argue they did.  They mocked the intelligence of, and insulted each other.  They called each other fools.  And when they heard each other’s arguments, they would reexamine their own perspectives to prove to themselves that they were right and the others were clearly mad.  After all, the evidence proved it. 

The truth, plainly, cannot be revealed from a single perspective.  The failing of each blind man was not the quality of their own examinations.  It was not a problem of intelligence. The problem was that none of them changed where they stood.  None of them asked to trade spaces with another. None tried to understand the perspective of the others. Worse still, the more heated the debate, the more entrenched they became in their own perspective and the more they saw themselves as the voice of truth.

The saddest part of this little story is that none of them, not a single one, could actually see the truth of what stood plainly before them.  None could see the elephant. They were all completely blind.

It turns out having sight makes us no less blind.  We all only see the world from our own perspectives.  We all assess the “truth” based on our own experiences.  And when we argue, we don’t ask questions, we don’t listen, we don’t seek to understand the reason why someone would so vehemently disagree with us.  Instead we dismiss them as fools and press forward based on our perception.

This polarization of truths is happening in our society right now. Just look at how divided politics has become. Politicans are becomig more and more polarized in their views in an attempt to rally passion in order to get elected. But politicians are a weather vein of our population. The reason politics is becoming more angry, more negative and more polarized is not because of the politicians…it’s because of us.

And don’t blame the media, either. They too only respond to what we demand. They are in business.  Their job is to increase ratings so they can sell more advertising – that’s their business model. As the population becomes more polarized, they will produce more polarized programming and invest in more polarizing personalities that appeal to one of the poles.  The more polarizing programming that exists, the more each end of the spectrum gains more proof, more fodder to reinforce their own, single perspective.

James Fallows, UCSD professor and author of Connected, reports that our media consumption has become intensely polarized.  His data is overwhelming.  The right only watch right leaning news and the left only watch left leaning news.  There is very little cross viewing.  In other words, to prove to ourselves that our side is right, we seek not to see what the other side sees, instead we only want to listen to those who already share our perspective. To reinforce our version of the truth. I mean, “truth.”

For those who understand that something doesn’t feel right, we criticize politics or the media. And for all the influence that politicians and the media have, it is we who must change. If we change, they will follow and not the other way around.

If we want to leave our country in better shape than we found it, if we seek to rebuild our economy, figure out social security, confront the threats of our enemies and once again become a beacon of light to the rest of the world, then it is we that must open our eyes and try to listen, learn and understand what the others can see.  We must all be anthropologists.  We must all set out, not to impose our beliefs on each other, not to beat them with our version of  the truth, but to understand the reasons they have the beliefs they do. We must set out to understand.

If you’re left of center, try to understand the perspective of those on the other side of the spectrum. Don’t get mad.  Don’t insult their intelligence.  Just listen.  Try to understand the perspective from which they are looking at the elephant. 

If you are right of center, try to understand the perspective of those on the other side of the spectrum also.  Don’t get mad.  Don’t insult their intelligence.  Just listen.  Try to understand the perspective from which they are looking at the elephant.

If enough of us do this, we may just see this country for what it is.  A large, majestic animal.  Strong and powerful. America is more than what we see from one or two perspectives. There is much more there that we can't see.  This is more than idealism, this is practical advice.  After all, how will we know what’s best for the elephant if we can’t even see that it is an elephant that is standing before us?

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Comments

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[Anita Kunz]

Remove my copyrighted image of the elephant and blind men or I will refer the matter to my attorney.
Anita Kunz
akunz@anitakunz.com

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Excellent use of the Elephant and the Blind Men story to shed much needed light on what is going on in our country (The USA, that is), not to mention the world as a whole in large part.

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Just like the people that can't see the forest for the trees.People only see what they want to see,they have no insight.

[swarovski rings]

Listening as much as you can is fine, but there is only some much retoic that a person can take. Listening to who is wrong and who is right can test the most patient of people.

It takes wisedom to think that there might be another point of view and that listening to that point of view helps you see the bigger picture. I love to reach out to others in my work to gain their perspective. Their insite is of tremendous value.

I have confidence that the USA as a whole has this wisedom. I have see it first hand at the grass roots level.

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everyday and in every way i’m getting better.

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A pure intention is actually typing a new resume instead of just spinning our wheels about it.

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Very true irrespective of the country and nationalities.

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No try, no hope. No try, no possibility

[Hitomi]

We blindly believe our happiness, success, freedom are in the hands of who controls economy, politics, government or even their mean bosses! So you blame President of the United States for your unhappy marriage and you let yourself be miserable? You blame on NYC board of education for your kids not getting quality education and let it shadow your children's entire future? Really?

Sometime I even wonder if there are such thing as "democrats" and "republicans" which seems to be representing something solid and different but as I'm witnessing the arguments, behaviors and the outcome of having those two names of groups in this country in this era, I'm starting to doubt if they are different from each others.

Both are gathered "thoughts" and "beliefs" from various individuals who THINK that is the right choice for the individuals at the time but there is no absolute proof and guarantee that would be the right choice for EVERYONE. As THOUGHTS and BELIEFS change according to situations, environments and certain experiences the individuals have encountered over time, it is hard to believe one party stands for one and the other side for others for a hundred years. So, thoughts and beliefs are not THE TRUTH OR PRINCIPLE.

Both parties can examine how and what happened in the past with certain directions and decisions and learn from them, but it doesn't mean that it would work for us. But we somehow believe that they can figure things out for us and make a perfect decision for all of us.

So what we do? We line up behind the D line and R line for the purpose of blaming other side for not knowing what the answers to all those issues we have including global social injustice issues, local hunger/poverty issues, domestic violence issues, economic bubble burst and high unemployed rate, cyber bulling issues, international affairs issues, health care issues, etc. because WE, YOU and I don't know the answer.

We envision those politicians, doctors, educators, psychologists and engineers are extremely advanced human beings that who have solutions to your problems. And we believe that.

But do they? What makes you think that they are so different from you? Is it because they went to universities where you couldn't even dream to go? Is it because they hold the title? Is it because they seem professionals and successful? Have you ever thought those are the people who also struggle to find answers to their journey to happiness, success and fulfillments?

Aren't we just neglecting our part of the thinking process what we really need, what we really have to change, what is the right decision for the country and for ourselves and why so?

Or are we a bunch of idiots who can't even think independently anymore?

[Scott G. F.]

Listening as much as you can is fine, but there is only some much retoic that a person can take. Listening to who is wrong and who is right can test the most patient of people.

It takes wisedom to think that there might be another point of view and that listening to that point of view helps you see the bigger picture. I love to reach out to others in my work to gain their perspective. Their insite is of tremendous value.

I have confidence that the USA as a whole has this wisedom. I have see it first hand at the grass roots level.

[Veda Horner]

Just like the people that can't see the forest for the trees.People only see what they want to see,they have no insight.
Thanks Simon

[Joseph Jin]

On the one hand, I can see how people choose their influences and sources of information, thereby self-selecting themselves into various polarities of opinion. That seems to be the way of many people, who attach themselves to a particular part of the elephant and mistake the part for the whole.

But what about someone who can actually see most or all of the elephant? For example, if a politically liberal or conservative person gets information from their chosen media, then what authority informs a seer of the whole elephant?

Maybe this kind of seer treats information and authority in a radically different way.

Therefore, maybe all the different opinions of the blind men are not really different from each other. Maybe they are fundamentally the same - at least to someone who can see the whole elephant.

And maybe it doesn't matter what opinion we each hold, as long as we don't commit the same error of narrow-mindedness which has no regard for what we believe.

Maybe the only way to see the whole elephant is being reasonable and humble enough to admit that no individual can see the whole elephant.

[Peter Paluska]

Simon,

Excellent use of the Elephant and the Blind Men story to shed much needed light on what is going on in our country (The USA, that is), not to mention the world as a whole in large part.

We all need to constantly hone our own perspective by taking a good close look at that of others'. It's got to be one of the cornerstones of a strong, balanced personal development practice. Let's see more by studying what we all experience!

Thank you as always!

[Max Mosesman]

Did you illustrate the elephant too?

I would like to illustrate along with articles like this.

MX

[kare anderson]

When individuals with different mindsets and experiences have a way to communicate with each other about what they see (the elephant) they are more likely to be able to innovate or otherwise collaborate to accomplish something greater than they could on their own. And in this increasingly connected, complex and bottom-up world, if they don't learn how to communicate to connect with people extremely unlike them they are less likely to remain relevant and sought-after

[Monk51295]

love this... like a mash-up of @ezuckerman's global voices and stanford's @peacedot and http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/652 and...

thank you Simon..

[Account Deleted]

Very true irrespective of the country and nationalities.

[Jørgen Sundgot]

Not only a poignant comment on the current situation in the U.S., the metaphor also applies to organizations which underestimate the importance of training divisions, departments or even single employees in the right approaches concerning collaboration.

I've seen the fallout from such excercises a number of times, and it's never a pretty sight (albeit occasionally entertaining).

[Robin]

I get it Simon, thank you!

[Steph]

So true! I very much agree...and will pass this on.