ELEPHANT SYMBOLISM

  • ‘Elephant in the Room’ is a metaphor for an obvious problem or taboo that no one is willing to discuss, based on the idea that something as large and conspicuous as an elephant, when put in a confined space, could not possibly be overlooked unintentionally.

    It is often used to refer to issues which are deliberately ignored; truths we all know, but collectively agree not to talk about.

    We all have our ‘Elephant in the Room’. Inclusion, integration, gender, equality, diversity, LGBTQ, bullying and phobias are just a handful of examples. The list is non-exhaustive.

    Simply acknowledging the existence of the issues that most affect individuals and starting an open conversation is the first step to positively impacting their wellbeing, happiness and mental health.

ORIGIN OF THE IDIOM

19th century Russian writer, Ivan Krylov, created the proverb in his fable, "The Inquisitive Man", in which he describes someone who goes to a museum and notices inconspicuous small objects of all kinds, but fails to notice the presence an elephant.

ELEPHANT SYMBOLISM

In many different cultures elephants are revered and symbolize; Luck, Prosperity, Wisdom and Longevity.

There are also many valuable lessons we can learn about life from elephants.

CONNECTEDNESS & COMMUNITY

Elephants maintain authentic relationships with others in their herd through a close social network of work and play.

KINDNESS & LOYALTY

Elephants are self-aware, and patient and do not dominate. They do not lead through fear, rather through respect and shared responsibility.

EMPATHY & TEAMWORK

Elephants have strong social skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence. They work as a team so no one gets left behind.

INTELLIGENCE & WISDOM

Elephants are highly intelligent and extremely wise. They can mimic human conversations, they mourn their dead, and they enjoy sharing the simple pleasures in life with their extended family groups.

STRENGTH & PERSEVERANCE

Elephants are powerful animals and when faced with obstacles, they use both intelligence and physical strength to clear them from their path.

They also have incredible endurance, are thick-skinned both physically and metaphorically and can persevere through extended periods of drought and walk enormous distances to find water and food for their herd.