The document discusses a poem called "Blind Men and the Elephant" which tells a fable about blind men encountering an elephant. Each man touches a different part of the elephant (its side, tusk, trunk, knee, ear, tail) and believes they now understand what the elephant is based on only that one part. They come to different conclusions and argue without realizing the full picture. The moral is about how people can be partially right but also wrong if they do not consider all aspects or perspectives when making judgments.
General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual Proper...
Blind men and the elephant
1.
2. Blind Men and the Elephant
(by John Godfrey Saxe)
(1816-1887)
Both this set and the "improved" set of
images (see bottom of this page) are
available for usage only after arrangements
have been made for monetary contributions;
otherwise, permission is not granted for
anyone to use these copyrighted illustrations
in other presentations!
3. The Blind Men and the Elephant
• American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)
based this poem, on a fable that was told in
India many years ago. It is a good warning
about how our sensory perceptions can lead
to some serious misinterpretations; especially
when the investigations of the component
parts of a whole,
4. The First approached the Elephant
•
•
•
•
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"
5. The Second, feeling of the tusk
•
•
•
•
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"
6. The Third approached the animal
•
•
•
•
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"
7. The Fourth reached out an eager hand
•
•
•
•
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
" 'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"
8. The Fifth, who chanced to touch the
ear
•
•
•
•
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"
9. The Sixth no sooner had begun
•
•
•
•
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"
10. • And so these men of Indostan
disputed loud and long,
each in his own opinion
exceeding stiff and strong,
though each was partly in the right,
and all were in the wrong!
11. Moral:
• So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
12. “And Over Here Ladies And Gentlemen
The Strategic Management Beast”
“To be perfectly frank, I’m not nearly as smart as
you seem to think I am” Mintzberg.
13. Prime Task of
Strategic Management
Peter Drucker: Think through the
overall mission of a business. Ask the
key question: “What is our Business?”
14. SCHOOL
• Design
• Learning
• Planning
• Power
• Positioning
• Cultural
• Entrepreneurial
• Cognitive
• Environmental
• Configuration
