In the recently concluded Golden Globes 2024 Awards, controversial comedian, Ricky Gervais won the award for best performance in stand-up comedy on television for his Netflix special, Armageddon (2023). In his special, he had joked, ‘Chinese paedophile goes over to a little Chinese kid, and he goes “do you want a puppy?” And the kid goes, “I’m not hungry”’. Is this joke racist? Or is this joke pointing out atrocities towards animals (dogs in this regard)? 

Another controversial comedian, Dave Chapelle, in his latest Netflix special titled, Dreamer (2023) opined about the Will Smith vs Chris Rock feud, ‘I am Will Smith. I am the man that cannot take it anymore and will slap the s*** out of the next person that says a cross word to me or somebody that I love. And I am Chris Rock. I am the man that can get slapped in front of the whole world and keep my composure so that I do not f*** anything up.’ 

Applying Chapelle’s understanding to the questions posed to Gervais’ joke above, it might be assumed that the joke could be viewed as both racist as well as a critique on animal cruelty. However, if either viewpoint is considered as the only viewpoint, then it breeds the binary battleground. When we go beyond the binaries and consider multiple perspectives, then there’s an understanding that 2 + 2 = 4, 5 – 1 = 4, and 2 x 2 can also = 4. 

Possibly, there could be a Chinese person who is against animal cruelty who laughed at the joke because it tickled his funny bone! Can such a person exist? Not in a binary world. Here, the person is a classic case of Russell’s Paradox, which is explained via the barber paradox. ‘If the men in a town are segregated into two non-intersecting sets: the set A of those who shave themselves and the set B of those who get shaved by the barber (one of the men in town), then it is impossible for such a barber to exist.’ In a restrictive world, there’s no space for opposing ideas. But intelligence can function despite such challenges.

In his collection of essays titled Crack-up (1945), author F. Scott Fitzgerald stated, ‘The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.’ In this regard, is an atheist who visits a temple a hypocrite or a high-functioning individual? Perhaps, Nobel prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr has an answer. It is said that once a guest visited the residence of Niels Bohr. Observing a horseshoe displayed above the doorway, the visitor expressed surprise and inquired whether Bohr subscribed to the belief that horseshoes bring good luck. Bohr responded, saying, ‘No, but I've heard that they bestow luck upon even those who hold no belief in them.’ Multiple perspectives can be enlightening!

The Jains too have an interesting take on multiple perspectives; it’s called Anekantavada (many-sidedness). It can be accessed through the parable of the Blind Men and An Elephant. A gathering of visually impaired individuals learned that an unfamiliar creature, referred to as an elephant, had arrived in their town. Lacking knowledge of its shape and form, they decided, out of curiosity, to explore it through touch, a sense they possessed. Intent on understanding it, they sought out the elephant and, upon finding it, began to feel around. The first person, whose hand encountered the trunk, remarked, ‘This creature is like a thick snake.’ Another, touching its ear, perceived it as akin to a fan. A third, whose hand rested on its leg, described the elephant as a pillar resembling a tree trunk. The individual with a hand on its side declared, ‘The elephant is like a wall.’ Another, feeling its tail, likened it to a rope. The last person, sensing its tusk, characterised the elephant as something hard, smooth, and resembling a spear.

Who is right, who is wrong? Maybe, everyone is right, everyone is wrong. More importantly, the word ‘elephant’ is not the animal ‘elephant’. It is called an elephant. Even if we call it a giraffe, it will still have a trunk! Perception can shape subjective reality but cannot change the absolute truth. 

A clash of perceptions can create friction, much like a clash of two flint stones creates a spark. What we do with that spark matters the most. 

Some might use it to light a torch and birth a revolution. 

Some might leverage it to create a massive fire and burn the whole world down. 

Some might light a candle and read a book under it or do something else entirely! 

Choose wisely.

(Thought Box is a series where I share thought-provoking ideas, concepts, and observations that can help us navigate life.)