Question

What makes a thing what it is? Is the way it is seen/perceived by others or is it something else?

Answer 1

Answer:

  What makes anything unique is the way others see/perceive it. These blind men, blind peasants, blind monks, or blind sages symbolize "those in the dark," or individuals who lack a complete vision or understanding of a "thing." Each guy in these tales feels a different aspect of the elephant, but just that one part, such as the tail or the trunk.

  The narrative of the Six Blind Men and the Elephant contradicts this theory since the lesson of the story is that all faiths are striving toward the same objective, even though they disagree with each other on many levels. Major Religions' Disagreements.