Six Blind Men and an Elephant
Last updated: 1 April 2023
Six Blind Men and an Elephant is an ancient Indian parable that teaches a lesson of perspective-taking. In this fable, six blind men encounter an elephant, and each feels only a part of the elephant without realizing the entire picture.
Origin
The parable of Six Blind Men and an Elephant originates in Indian literature from the 13th century CE and appears in Jain texts and Buddhist works. The story is best known for its retelling of one of India’s most famous stories. The idea behind the fable is to show how individuals can have vastly different perspectives on something even when they are all trying to understand it.
The Parable
The parable follows six blind men who come across an elephant while walking through a village. Each man takes hold of a different part of the animal - the tusk, trunk, ear, tail, foot, and side - and then describe what they feel. The first man feels the tusk and thinks it is a spear; the second man touches its trunk and believes it is a snake; the third touches its ear and believes it is a fan; the fourth feels its tail and thinks it is a rope; the fifth grasps its foot and believes it is a tree trunk; while the sixth man touches its side and believes it is a wall. When the men get into an argument about what they are feeling, a wise man explains that each man has only touched one part of the elephant without understanding what it looks like as a whole.
How to use it
This parable is a metaphor for learning how to consider other people's perspectives when engaging in discussion or making decisions. It also serves as a reminder that we don't always have access to all the information needed to make informed decisions or understand complex issues. Rather than drawing conclusions based solely on our own experience, we should try to gain insight from others before coming to any final judgment or opinion. This parable is also an example of how different people can experience different things within similar environments or situations due to their unique perspectives or circumstances.
Examples
Six Blind Men and an Elephant applies to any situation where individual perspectives need consideration or conflicting opinions are at play. For example, if two colleagues are discussing how best to approach a project with vastly different ideas, both could benefit from taking time to understand each other's points of view before committing to any plan of action.
In politics, this story may be applicable when debating complicated social issues where multiple sides should present before deciding.
Takeaways
- We don’t always have all the information needed to understand a complex topic.
- Consider other perspectives when engaging in discussion or making decisions.
References
