A story of an elephant and its rider

It's the last few moments of the year 2009 and most people would be blogging about what had happened throughout the year. But I'm gonna tell you a story.

During my Christmas break, I spent my time reading this book "The Happiness Hypothesis" by Jonathan Haidt. Haidt made an analogy on how to relate our subconscious mind and our conscious mind which he said is the elephant and the rider respectively.The rein used by the rider to control the elephant is the only mean of communication between them. The rider is smart and he is able  to communicate with other riders and he gains knowledge. The elephant is helpless and moves based on mere instincts. Then again, the rider has a very limited role. He makes choices. He chooses which path the elephant should go to. Left, right, straight or back. The rest of the work is done by the elephant.

What if the rider loses his rein? Or if he is not able to control his own elephant? The elephant would not go on a rage. It would simply follow whatever it thinks is right, whatever that it used to do daily just like a computer program. As I was reading the book, I wondered how did my journey with my elephant was for the past few years. I believed that the conscious rider is our soul. Below is my story.

In my past, I was a very skilled rider. The choices that I made most of the time lead my elephant and I to victory. I knew I had tamed my elephant well enough that I threw the reins away. I understood my elephant and he me. I would talk to him and he would understand what I say. This harmonious relationship between both of us nurtured creativity and the ability to grasp knowledge around us with arms wide open.

I found that it was not only my elephant that I was able to tame. I somehow believed that I could understand other rider's elephants too. I was able to make friends with any rider that I met. And some very intimately. I was happy.


One day, there was a war. I tried to escape but to no avail and my elephant was afraid. From what I could remember, there was a huge explosion in front of me and the world went blank for a few days. When I finally opened my eyes. I could not feel my hands, I could not feel my legs and I could not feel that cool breeze that I once loved so much. The touch of raindrops on my skin was no longer there.


I was paralysed. I could only see and talk. I looked at my elephant. He is now blind. He is now mute. He could no longer hear my words. The harmonious bond between us was destroyed. He could not grow any wiser without my advice. There was no more knowledge that I could instill in him. He now makes his choices without a sense of direction and without my command. Alone and helpless. He thought that I left and abandoned him for good. 

I was not there when he needed me. And so, we moved on. We both exist side by side without a relation. How sad, I could not go to him and give him cookies for a festival or sweets when he had done a good work. I felt lost. We together are lost. Till now.


I hope one day, we would accidentally bump into a doctor. And hope that the doctor would cure my paralysis and my elephant's sight and hearing. Until then, my life and my journey would be on a defected autopilot. I could no longer steer.