Did you ever participate in a white elephant exchange at Christmas? Do you know someone who bought a piece of property that became a white elephant? Psychologists even use the term to mean “any truth, emotion, or experience that feels too threatening for the relationship to last.” It has evolved into a catchall term for getting involved with or possessing something a person regrets or feels uncomfortable with. It can apply to those we choose to befriend, marry, or vote for, as well as to the things we acquire.
The following is a short video I created to explore the origin of and repercussions of a white elephant.
I have been using 19th-century history to explore and compare life then and now. A playlist for this YouTube channel is available at the following link: click “Play All” (the white elephant video is the first of five, so the elephant image appears twice on this page).