What creeps in your mind when you see this kind of a title??
There can be thousands of different answers to this one...so let me start with mine..
When I first saw the mention of these two creature together...the thought that crept in my mind is "Ek taraf kua ek taraf khai" i.e. "On one side is a well and on the other is a crater!!"... In one word you could call it 'dilemma'....
But of course its the nature of man to dig deep in such intriguing things & so did I.
To start with..I will first describe the characteristics of both and then map them
to my reflection of the two!!
Elephant being my favorite animal (for weird reasons though) I thought why not start with the same..The elephant is a truly amazing creature. It is an animal that has been respected, revered, even worshipped, in many of the world's cultures for thousands of years. While the Western world has been obsessed with the power symbol of the lion, the East has long held the elephant as their supreme animal icon.
Elephants are the epitome of sustainability, adaptation is the key!!These Jumbos are not predators. They are complete vegetarians living from the land, not off their fellow-creatures. They have no natural enemies other than humans and are seldom seen in violent encounters with other species.As a rule, the elephant's relationship to other species and Nature is highly cooperative and symbiotic. For example, elephants often provide the lifeline that other animals need in the dry bushveld by digging for water, or enlarging existing water holes. Their eating habits, which often appear destructive, simultaneously open up the forest canopy to allow young growth better access to the sunlight and make previously inaccessible vegetation more widely available to other species.
Elephants' awesome size and strength inspires respect and admiration from humans and other animals alike, although they do not abuse their power.
But it's not just that they are big; it's how elephants carry themselves that counts. When they walk, there is a remarkable grace in their movement.Elephant life in the herd is governed by a matriarch. In family and clan, all authority is vested in experienced mother elephants who demand respect and are acknowledged as the herd leaders.
Succinctly ,the elephants can be looked upon as creatures with a mix of some great qualities -
1)An Icon of Leadership
2)Masters of Survival
3)Benefactors of Cooperation
4)Inspirers of Greatness
5)Leaders of Compassion
6)Champions of Communication
7)Keepers of Wisdom
Switching on to the fierce and yet fabulous species of Dragons,I found that the
other side of the shore is green as well...
The dragon is considered to be a master of authority and a deliverer of good fortune in oriental philosophy. As a result people born in dragon years are respected and honored.
It is fond of flamboyance and color and is a beautiful creature, bubbling with energy, utterly irrepressible and extremely gifted.It is ambitious and loves to do things on a grand scale without being ostentatious and is the monarch of all he surveys.
Of course there are greater kinds of dragons with varying characteristics unlike the
Elephants.
Metal dragons are born leaders, independent, courageous, honest, powerful and determined creatures but their inflexibility, fierceness, uncompromising and forceful natures mar the other positive qualities.
Water dragons are likely to be persuasive, articulate, more intuitive, flexible and calm. They can re-evaluate a situation, think about it and take a wiser course of action.
Outspokenness, generosity, nobility and self-confidence are some of the qualities of a wood dragon. They are organized, liberal and capable of being prosperous in life but are at the same time, a bit pushy. They are open to other people's points of view.
Dragons have good leadership qualities and instinctively know how to stay on top. They are always questing for success.Boundless confidence makes dragons intrepid even in the face of insurmountable difficulties. Therefore they court success easily and reach the top.
On one hand where Dragons are supposed to be magnanimous, vibrant, powerful, charismatic, intelligent, honest, straightforward, creative, generous, warmhearted, enterprising, brave, passionate, self-sufficient, self-assured, witty, resilient and noble while on the flip side they are often inflexible, demanding, pompous, intolerant, dogmatic, proud, acerbic, ruthless, arrogant and judgmental. A dragon cannot conform to rules and regulations. His creativity is muffled by the imposition of restrictions. Their highly enthusiastic natures often leave them fatigued.
The fiery creatures are helpful by nature but, spurred by their pride they are often reluctant in receiving help from others. Dragons are, often tactless and quick-tempered and sometimes conceited. Dragons also enjoy the dubious distinction of being tyrannical and aggressive. They cannot appreciate the little things and small pleasures of life.
Well,now is the moment to reflect upon the vibrant and versatile qualities of these
two species....It amazes me that both these species portray a mix of some exceptional
qualities which makes them gigantic figures of inspiration...
Imagine if there were people with the 'elephantine' qualities....would'nt they suit
best to our present day business world and managerial environment??In another aspect,
elephantine people could also lead to better approach towards world peace and harmony.Yet another dimension would be the 'survival of the elephantines' in todays era which is full of die-hard competition and that too unhealthy!!It just makes me wonder as to how great the world could be if we had people with the spirit of an elephant and even a fraction of it's qualities...World Leaders would have a different
face and attitude if they were to possess the remarkable compassionate leadership qualities as that of the Jumbo!!We homo sapiens are just too unsatisfied and have too much of cravings...but had we been adaptive like the elephants...we would not only
survive the battle for sustainability but also would have been a lot happier...
"Wo kehte hain na hathi ki chaal mast hoti hai kyoki wo apni masti mein rehta hai"
Talking of power ...today...abuse of power is just a natural behavior...people donot even revolt against it...But hats off to the "Gigantic Mammal" ...it does'nt just have a great power but also great sense of responsibility.......The attitude of co-operation and passion, that one should not trample another for its own cause,is not yet an aspect where mankind has evolved...Infact man has become beastly...his greed
and jealousy are exponentially cultivating!!
An amusing observation is that man cannot even seen as better when compared to the counterpart of this tale-The Dragon!!Yes,we do have our own fierce notions of a dragon,but from what I found ,the dragons too have a balanced blend of positive and negative!!Atleast they are honest and loyal to their own species....On the contrary..
man has become the most acrimonious and insane specie in the present day scenario!!
I don't know why do I feel that mankind has lost its morals and humanity down the lane to 21st century!!Development not necessarily means walking over the down trodden!!I really feel that the elephants and dragons have become extinct..not just in their own specie...but also in our!!The elephant and the dragon could have balanced and refined the hierarchy of our government and society...and yet lead us to development at a better pace!!Leadership is what runs a country....and leadership just does'nt mean "to lead" or "to be the head of",it has far more to it....
Leadership requires the completion of a picture with the leader as one of its components rather than the frame alone!!And how can a leader become a part of the people if he does'nt have compassion,confidence and honesty?
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