Pastor Ken
A widely circulated ancient story lays behind the Chinese idiom, “the blind men petting an elephant.”
The story, set in India, tells of six blind men who have never encountered an elephant before. One by one, each man touches a distinct part of the elephant. The first man feels the side of the elephant and declares it’s like a wall. The second man touches the tusk and insists it’s like a spear. The third man grabs the trunk and says it’s like a snake. The fourth man lays his hand on the ear and claims it’s like a fan. The fifth man touches the leg and says it’s like a tree trunk. Finally, the sixth man feels the tail and believes it’s like a rope.
All of them have their opinions, but none can see the complete picture. Yes, overgeneralization is a fallacy that occurs when a person draws a broad conclusion based on partial data.
Many years ago, when I first moved from Hong Kong to the United States for college, I assumed everyone with yellowish skin and black hair was Chinese and I would start speaking in Cantonese. One day at school, I met a girl with yellowish skin and black hair. She replied to my Cantonese in English, “I’m from Hawaii, not Chinese. Are you disappointed?” Embarrassment overtook me, and it became a reminder never to make the same mistake again.
During the past few decades, we can’t make too many assumptions about human relationships. A man and a woman of similar age holding hands are not necessarily husband and wife. Yet, a couple from different races may be. When two people of the same sex push a stroller, and the baby appears to be of different ethnicity, we shouldn’t make any assumptions and don’t avoid them either.
Regarding understanding the Bible, we may make the mistake of overgeneralization. I have heard people saying that the Old Testament of the Bible teaches about law, while the New Testament talks about grace. Some may even conclude that the Old Testament records brutal events and describes God’s severity, while the New Testament talks about the forgiveness of sins to emphasize God’s love. People who say this probably haven’t studied the Bible thoroughly and do not know God intimately. They don’t seem to understand that God upholds justice and is also full of compassion and mercy. In fact, the Old Testament and the New Testament describe the same God.
Numerous study materials on the Bible are widely available. Anyone can access them through the Internet. However, many Christians still prefer listening to eloquent and charismatic preachers and only accept their explanations of the Bible. It is important for us to seek relevant information by ourselves. Even if we cannot find all the answers to our questions, at least we know the scope of the issue and can take a suitable approach.
In this era of information explosion, it isn’t prudent to rely solely on a few major TV stations or newspapers to conclude the validity of the news. To avoid overgeneralization, one must collect information from multiple sources, including those with opposing positions. We must sieve through the data and determine what is credible to keep up with the situation.
When forming our own opinions and positions, we must also be careful not to fall into the trap of emotional identification. Don’t take sides just because someone is of the same ethnicity or shares the same belief. Otherwise, we may never find the truth, not to mention upholding justice. This is especially important when we’re asked to mediate between conflicting parties to help them reconcile. If we really want to help, we must remind ourselves to remain non-judgmental, and not to overgeneralize before we hear enough from both sides.
