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Five blind men wanted to find out what an elephant was. They had a servant bring one to them. They surrounded the elephant and reached out to touch it. The first blind man grabbed the elephants trunk. He said, "an elephant is very much like a snake." The second, holding one of the elephant's legs, said "oh no, it's like a tree trunk." The third, grabbing it's ear, said "how can you say that? it's like a fan." The fourth, clutching the animal's tail, said "no,no,no. It's like a rope." The fifth, climbing up the side of the elephant, said "you're all wrong. Its like a small hill." They were all right in part, but they were all wrong. You can't grasp the truth by knowing just one point of view.

That's so true. I can't tell you how many times I have heard people arguing brutally about things and which of them was right. Often times they are both right and just refuse to lose the argument. I have never been able to understand that kind of thinking where people have to always prove others wrong. I mean I can see where lots of people have this desperate need to put others down, but it doesn't help anyone. That's why I wish more people would at least respect the views and opinions of others, even if they seem so horribly wrong. Sometimes we just aren't seeing the other perspectives.

I love this story:) I have seen it as a children's book and it's true of course. Truth seems unavailable to us in this life, our individual truth is an illusion just like everything else we experience.