The parable of the blind men and the elephant is an ancient story with roots in Buddhist, Hindu and Jain texts. A group of blind men hear that a strange animal, called an elephant, has come to town. Curious to know what it is, they set out to find it and discover what an elephant is. When they find the elephant, each man extends his hand and touches a different part of the elephant.
🐍 The first person, whose hand lands on the trunk declares "This being is like a thick snake."
🌳 The second person who grasps a leg says "This being is a pillar shape, just like a tree trunk."
🪭 Another's outstretched arm brushes against the ear and they exclaim, "No! this being is like a big fan."
🗡️ One reaches out and gets poked by a tusk and yells, "Ouch! You are wrong, this being is like a spear."
🧱 The sixth man's hand lands on the body of the elephant and it is clear to him, "This being is like a wall."
🪢 The final man at the back of the elephant grasps the tail, insisting, "You are all wrong, it is like a rope."
They begin arguing, each insisting that his perception is the correct one. The tension rises and the conflict becomes intense. Each man is furious that the others could be so blind to the truth. However, each was partially correct, yet none could see the full picture. Only by coming together, sharing their perspectives, and combining their knowledge could they hope to understand the true nature of the elephant.
The elephant parable is still relevant today, especially in the world of research. Different research teams often focus on specific aspects of a complex problem, building their views off of their own data, much like the blind men in the parable.
This often leads to different findings and conclusions, each valuable in its own right, but often seen as competing perspectives. Without collaboration and data sharing among these teams, our overall understanding of the research topic remains fragmented.
To truly see the whole elephant, researchers need the tools to connect, collaborate and see the bigger picture.
Here at the WERC we have one mission — to help the world work towards uncovering the whole elephant.
We believe this will be achieved by facilitating an engaged research community of institutions, researchers and participants.
To do this we have a plan for various platforms, tools and research equipment that can make research happen.
Together we will reveal the whole elephant.