Somehow, the Elephant has become mistaken for the Gorilla,
so it is important that we now properly identify these large mammals and the
roles that they play in the continuance of Blind Faith. The expression “elephant in the room” refers
to a large, looming truth that somehow everyone in that room seems to
overlook. It is so large that it becomes
invisible. How does this happen? Does everyone believe that they are the only
one noticing it, so they think that they must be mistaken because their peers
are not commenting on it? Does everyone
assume that everyone else sees it, but chooses to ignore it, so they think that
they must also ignore it?
The elephant in the room refers to an obvious truth that no
one is addressing. Not to be confused
with the 800-pound gorilla that refers to someone or something so large and
powerful that it dictates the rules, similar to a Goliath. This mammal is not to be challenged. Unless, of course, there’s a David in the
room.
So how did these metaphors become mixed? Why do people commonly refer to the ‘800
pound gorilla in the room’? Possibly
because of the Invisible gorilla test which was conducted by researchers to
test the hypothesis of inattentional blindness.
Subjects were asked to watch a video and count the number of ball passes
made between basketball teams. At random
points during the video, a person in a gorilla suit entered and walked behind
the players. The study reported that 50%
of the subjects did not notice the gorilla.
Why? Because of the complex relationship
between what we are directed to focus on to the exclusion of all other
variables in our field of perception.
The remaining variables outside of the directed focus are not
consciously perceived, but when pointed out to the subjects after the study,
these variables become obvious. The
subjects wonder, how could they have possibly not seen the gorilla? It was so obvious. It was right in front of them. But they were so busy paying attention to
counting ball passes that they failed to notice the most important and emerging
situation in the room: a gorilla. No one expected to see a gorilla, so 50% of
the subjects simply did not see it. The
possibility was blocked from perceptual processing; thus, the hypothesis of inattentional
blindness was proven. We become blind to
everything other than what we are directed to focus on; we become blind to
other possibilities, blind to even potentially life-threatening
situations. It’s almost like the sleight
of hand of the shell game. You don’t see
what you think you see.
Where does blind faith enter the room? We have been taught all our lives to
respect authority, to believe in the systems established for the betterment of
society. One by one, these systems, or
gorillas, are being challenged: the
banking system, the real estate system, the Catholic Church system, the political
systems worldwide, the cancer industry system.
What happens when these cages are rattled? But wait a minute, there are no cages; the
gorillas are out of the cages, they are in the room. But we don’t see them. Why? Because we are focused on other
unimportant variables, we are counting the ball passes, we don’t see the
sleight of hand. The gorillas count on
our blind faith to believe in their systems.
They count on us not seeing and not believing what is right in front of
our eyes. The gorillas count on
inattentional blindness to their sleight of hand, which leads to blind faith in
their systems. They are the Goliaths; we
are the Davids.
In going up against the Goliath of the cancer industry
system, the elephant in the room is the fact that chemotherapy is an ineffective
treatment for cancer. This is the large looming truth that everyone ignores. Studies show that
the aggregate effectiveness rate of chemotherapy is 3%. Of course that’s an abysmal statistic, but we,
the subjects in this study, are directed to pay attention to focusing on how
many times the ball is passed between the teams. We are directed to assist with this effort,
and we are distracted from the 3% effectiveness rate by being directed to walk
for the cure, and when walking isn’t enough, we are directed to run for the
cure. And through this sleight of hand,
we are separated from our money as in the shell game, and we actually feel good
about contributing to the pink gorilla.
So now these mammals and their roles become obvious, once the
veil of blind faith is lifted and we are able to see. We can no longer ignore the elephant in the
room that is the abysmal failure of chemotherapy, a large looming truth. We recognize the gorilla that is the cancer
industry, the FDA-Big Pharma complex, so large and powerful that it dictates
the rules. Our inattentional blindness
is healed. We see the shell game for
what it is: a dishonest sleight of hand.
The gorilla has to be put back in the cage, the elephant has to be led
out of the room. All the Davids who recognize
the elephant and the gorilla, and who have already pierced the veil of blind
faith are speaking out and gathering stones to overcome this Goliath.
There are two things that are required to break through the
phenomenon of inattentional blindness which the cancer industry Goliath has
created: knowledge and belief. It is one thing to know that
chemotherapy is ineffective; it is quite another thing to believe that
chemotherapy is ineffective. People who know the truth now have to overcome
their blind faith and believe it.
Know. Believe. Your life depends on it.
