CULTURE
The Proper Way To Eat An Elephant
The key to changing our culture is not with big swings but with small shifts in thinking that allow for incremental change
The South African theologian Desmond Tutu once said that the best way to eat an elephant was one bite at a time. Additionally, we are often reminded that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that we must learn to walk before we can ever hope to run. These cliches hold universal truths that have been borne out time and again throughout human history. Most innovation, after all, comes from being able to grasp a hold of what was previously only just beyond our reach — and rarely by making quantum leaps forward.
This is not to say we should ever relinquish lofty goals or big dreams. How will we ever get anywhere without a destination in mind? It’s all fine and well to put one foot in front of the other, to only worry about what we can see in front of us, but if you want to cross an ocean, you need a bit more long-term planning. You need almost supernatural vision, and a hefty helping of good, old-fashioned faith. Otherwise, you risk walking in circles.
Personally, I hate incremental change. It’s dull, boring, and tedious. There is nothing sexy about building on a foundation of previous achievement. It…
