The Blind Men U0026 The Elephant: Value The Opinions Of Others

It is not always easy to value the opinions of others. This is because they can be completely different from our own, whereupon we prioritize our own way of looking at things.

This can lead to us becoming uncompromising people who refuse to analyze how others perceive reality. Instead of enriching ourselves, we become poor.

If we act in this way, it is because we like to always be right, even if we may deny it.

But just as the article “Relationship Between Two Concepts: Information, Knowledge and Value, Similarities and Differences” points out, you can only be right if you risk being wrong.

To open our eyes to this widespread attitude, today we want to tell a story that can help us value the opinions of others – opinions based on knowledge from their own individual backgrounds.

If you read it with an open mind, you can really benefit from it.

The story of the six blind, learned men and the elephant

Once upon a time there were six learned men who lived in a small village. All six were blind. One day someone took an elephant to the village. Faced with this situation, scholars sought ways to know what an elephant was because they could not see it.

“I know,” said one of them. “We can touch it!”

“Good idea,” said the others. “That way we will surely know what an elephant is.”

The first learned man felt one of the elephant’s big ears. He touched it slowly, back and forth.

“The elephant is like a big fan,” he said.

The other felt the elephant’s legs and exclaimed, “It’s like a tree!”

“You’re both wrong,” said the third after examining the elephant’s tail. “The elephant is like a rope!”

Suddenly the fourth learned man, who felt the elephant’s grazing, roared, “The elephant is like a spear!”

“No no!” shouted the fifth after touching the elephant’s side. “It’s like a big wall.”

The sixth man finally waited and said while holding the elephant’s trunk, “You are all wrong, the elephant is like a snake.”

“No no. Like a rope. ”

“A worm.”

“Definitely a wall.”

“You are wrong.”

“I am right.”

“Not a chance.”

The six men quarreled for hours  without agreeing on what an elephant was.

To value the opinions of others, one must listen

Something we see clearly in this story is that  in order to value the opinions of others, one must learn to listen. The six learned men did not listen to what the others said, but only confirmed what they had felt with their hands.

In the end, no one came close to describing what an elephant is, but despite that, they bitingly defended their opinions. It may seem absurd, but it often happens.

Of course, they were all partly right based on what they perceived, but no one was really close to reality. Worst of all  , no one could value the opinions of others.

How can this story help us? The next time you hear an opinion that is different from yours  , I suggest you look at the situation from its perspective.

To do this, it is vital to listen, ask questions if you do not understand something and to even express your own opinion.

To perceive reality in a different way

This does not mean that others cannot be wrong, but we learn to be aware that everyone perceives reality in a different way. All people’s opinions contain a grain of truth.

The article “The Search for Reality or Truth: An Approach Based on Sociological Theory” points out that Plato and his cave parable pointed out that it is possible to interpret reality in very different ways.

Our  way of looking at reality is  colored by our experiences, values ​​and beliefs,  and can therefore differ significantly from others. But does that mean some are more true than others? Not at all.

Because of that, we will be able to enrich our lives instead of becoming poorer if we learn to value the opinions of others instead of always defending our point of view.

As we have seen with the story of the elephant and the learned men, our opinion may not be as accurate as we think.