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I think the real answer is asking for help from someone who knows what to do with an elephant.
They want to see if you'll seek the council of someone with more experience in a scenario where you are entirely out of your element, or if you will try to implement some harebrained idea.
It's to see how you'd handle or approach something large, like a complex task. But yeah, eat it one bite at a time until you finish it. So you're correct for the most part. Hail yourself!
It is better to not understand the question and not start working with people who ask these kind of questions. It is a red flag if people make assumptions about your personality based on abstract and subjective questions rather than just asking you what they want to know. It gives you insight in how the rest of your career at this company will be. For me reason enough to honor the red flag and wish them good luck.
I’m a photographer and once interviewed with a real estate agency to take photos of houses for sale. During the interview, the head realtor asked me “Do you love to win or hate to lose?” I responded with “Um, I like to take photos.” I was not offered the job - thankfully.
In my past life when i was in devops which is a job that is created because devs couldnt do ops, and ops couldnt do devving, so the job type devops was created with people doing both. On a job interview for a devops position they forced me to answer the question if i wanted to be dev or an ops. I denied to answer that question. They found me rude and cancelled the further job interview. Well, have fun with it guys! 😂
Eh, a recruiter asking an indirect question during an application isn't always indicative of how the rest of the company works.
You can't really tell until you've taken the job, and nothing says you can't resign and start looking again or keep looking for jobs while going through onboarding at your new job.
So now I'm picturing a company that tries to add one random question like this, but it doesn't actually have any bearing on the actual hiring decision. Instead, at the annual company BBQ, and after a few too many martinis, they show the best responses on a slide show anonymously while everyone is finishing up their last piece of the sheet cake that days, "here's to another great year!"
I even thought it might be fun to try to guess who answers what, but that would only work if the people doing the selection process were smart. Otherwise, there would be a potential opportunity for bullying or clicque-ish behavior.
I would put it in my room, and when people come over, the first thing I’d say is “okay, let’s just address the elephant in the room”. That’s how I’d answer that.
I laughed so hard at this my nipples slid down my chest and up under my junk and now live on my ass cheeks like two fucked up eyes. Have my upvoted response to this medical nightmare.
I chickle chuckled so aggressively that my brain misfired and I started to seizure, bit off my tongue, swallowed it, and now I can taste my small intestines. Take my up vote, Broski.
I laughed so I hard spilled my whole coffee on my keyboard! Then I ran in to the kitchen, still laughing, and grabbed a gallon of milk and accidentally spilled it into my computer CPU! Then I started vomiting all over my desk from sheer, uncontrollable laughter! After that I shit in my chair and slipped out of it, cracking my head open on my desk. I started bleeding and shitting all over the ground and ended up laughing and drowning in my own body fluids! Fuck you, you dumb cunt, you destroyed my family and ended my life! Take my uparrow, m'lady!! 😂😂😂
Leasing was definitely my first thought too. Lease it to a zoo at $1 for a term of 100 years (or until death of the elephant).
Might even get a clause built in that I can get into the zoo for free (to check on my elephant), with my family. That’d be a nice bonus.
Exactly where my mind went. Demonstrates both the ability to expose loopholes while being compassionate. Adding the zoo pass is creative, I think it would be a good addition for adding that you will still exploit the situation to your benefit in a relatively harmless way.
[Sadly, no](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/peta-leads-the-pack-in-killing-dogs-and-cats/)
>PETA’s kill rate in 2023 was an astonishing 76 percent for dogs, 81 percent for cats, and 78 percent for all animals in its care. In comparison, all Virginia public agencies euthanized 9 percent of dogs, 11 percent of cats, and 10 percent of all animals.
[Peta legit believe that it's better to die than be a slave.](https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/peta-animal-rights_b_1636097) Even kidnapping animals from peoples yards to kill them.
No, PETA is awful, they stole a dog from a porch and put it down before the family could reclaim it - they didn't even wait the mandatory week. They are just insane.
The ATF is too small an agency to compete with PETA for dead pets. They're above-average on a per-capita-and-on-video perspective. But nothing like PETA.
Nah they are against animals being pets, if they can’t be pets and can’t live in the wild. They kill ‘em.
Their mindset (I would imagine) is that eventually if they kill all the pets, then all animals would be free to live in nature (and starve or get eaten alive)
Not really their whole thing is animal freedom or whatever. They are even against animal ownership so like they don't like when u keep pets, there is a very well known case where they stole a dog of some dudes front yard and in 3 days they put the dog down
This is the only correct answer. No matter how you really look at the situation, unless you're a millionaire, you'll eventually be noticed and get into a legal battle. It costs a salary to feed and maintain one of these creatures. It will likely be kept in inhumane conditions even if you dumped all your money into it.
What the hell are you talking about, you have an elephant dude lol get a loan and Buy a tank as well now they can't do nothing, you have an elephant and a tank, think of all the war crimes you can do
I actually got this question in an interview. I answered, “eat it, have you seen the cost of groceries?” I figured a snarky answer for a dumb question was appropriate.
this has been here and around the web an lot.
if you honestly asked why?: its an commonly used parable in thai/ about the king of siam.
all white elephants are automatically belonging to the royal family, they are considered holy and harming them, putting them to work or letting harm befall it is an bad omen. and highly illegal.
so the king would gift rivals an white elephant. you wherent allowed to have it work. or profit from it. and it needed to be revered and pampered like an living god, with its own servants,priests ,food and lodging.
albinos are highly vulnerable to the sun. and elephants eat an lot and grow pretty old, so tending to it takes an few servants all day for propably longer than you live.
also the elephant you own would still be under the kings partronage , and he dosnt like you, so expect unanounced controlls , and god forbid the elephant gets harmed or dies. there will be an full scale investigation if you are responsible. and if you are. 1000years of bad yuyu over your ancestors and execution for you.
also you cant refuse an gift from the king, or regift such an valuable and honrable gift.
so either the king gets an excuse to get rid of you and dishonours your entire family, or ruins you financially.
"being gifted an white elephant" is an somewhat obscure parable here in europe too, it basically means you are the percipient of an curse hiding itself as an boon.
like being promoted to an job with more responsibility and same pay. or inheriting an piece of land thats attached to an lot of debt, or an old house that is rotting away while being an protected heritage site.
>"being gifted an white elephant" is an somewhat obscure parable here in europe too, it basically means you are the percipient of an curse hiding itself as an boon.
That's so odd that it has such a negative origin because my only experience with that term was from a "white elephant" gift exchange thing at a church when I was young and it was a very positive thing where you picked a number and it just said the person's age/gender then you got that person a gift.
Originally, white elephant gift exchanges were supposed to follow the curse-hiding-itself-as-a-boon process... though in a much less cursed way. The gifts were supposed to be silly or somewhat unusable... I've been to plenty of such gift exchanges where those involved clearly didn't get the memo and the gifts were mostly just regular type gifts.
I worked at a company where people very much did it in the old style, giving gifts that were impractical, funny, or just weird. There were gifts that were rewrapped and given year after year, in boxes that were way too big or the wrong shape to throw people off. It was a lot of fun.
I've been to a white elephant gift exchange for a church group where someone DEFINITELY got the memo.
Someone gifted to the group a bag of edibles. Weed was illegal in the state this gift exchange happened.
that would be known as "wichteln" here loosly translated to "do as an gnome " giving people small anonymous gifts. usually done here around christmas, especially in companys. you would pull an name of an coworker out of an head and then gift them something without telling them who.
I'm glad you gave this much context, I think it's a good enough interview question, certainly better than "What is your best strength" or such shit.
But for the love of god, you must be trolling by using 'an' instead of 'a'.
Sell everything you own and move to the country. You need at least a 50 acre field, fenced off with large animal proof gates. It will cost minimum $75,000 per year for vet bills and food. Between $15,000-$50,000 for transportation and training (if you wish).
It will be lonely and depressed if it's the only animal, so it will need much of your attention for bonding. Considering it'd going to cost a fortune to raise the animal, you'll need a higher paying job.
If you cannot find said higher paying job, you will be sucked dry by the cost of maintaining said elephant, and eventually lose your home and your health will decline. You and the elephant will be living on the streets. Law Enforcmeent will assess your situation and likely contact a zoo to take the elephant away from you.
So yeah, unless your income is $200k+ and you can relocate, you'll either die in poverty or have the elephant taken from you, without your consent, by officials.
Easy. What else?
This is a question often seen in interviews to be a salesmen. The correct answer is to sell it or, the trick third answer, to rent it out to people. It’s supposed to show how hungry you are…. It’s nonsense
actually, I would love getting this question on a job interview. seems like an absolute gimmie opportunity to showcase your personality and use it to rise above all the other candidates. among 20 identical resumes, the funniest and cleverest elephant answer’s gotta win, right?
unlike other ridiculous application hoops (a video entry, for example) the annoyance/potential ratio seems off the charts in favor of potential here.
Trick question.
Received a big problem, you can accept or refuse.
Real life, there is always a elephant, its a two man job and they are only hiring one and expect this one to maintain the elephant or if you are really good make it a Chihuahua, next day you receive two elephants.
Meaning if you can handle one (make it into a chihuahua so it’s a manageable task) then you will get a 2nd one to manage as well. If I’m understanding correctly, it’s a way for the company to maximize productivity at your expense. Basically, exploit your abilities until they can no longer be exploited
My thoughts exactly. It seems like an allegory for inheriting a large responsibility.
An example of a good answer might be: "[Preparation] I would spend time researching general elephant needs and strategies for care. Ask the previous owners if there are any quirks to the elephant, what it likes and dislikes, any special instructions. [Design] I would draft a plan for a care routine and design a sensible enclosure. Create a budget for expected expenses. Then have those reviewed by an elephant expert and a contractor. I love critical feedback especially at this phase of a project (wink).... etc"
This is ChatGPT's response:
"If faced with the scenario of being given an elephant with the condition of being unable to give it away or sell it, I would approach the situation with careful consideration for the well-being of the elephant and those around me. Here are some potential ways I might handle the situation:
1. **Create a Sanctuary:** If I have the resources and space, I would consider creating a sanctuary or safe habitat for the elephant where it can live comfortably and receive proper care. This could involve working with wildlife experts and animal welfare organizations to ensure the elephant's needs are met.
2. **Educational Programs:** I might explore opportunities to use the elephant as an educational resource. This could involve hosting educational programs or outreach events to raise awareness about elephant conservation, wildlife protection, and environmental issues.
3. **Therapeutic Programs:** Elephants are known for their intelligence and emotional sensitivity. I might investigate options for incorporating the elephant into therapeutic programs for individuals with special needs or those undergoing rehabilitation. Interacting with animals can have profound therapeutic benefits for people, and the elephant could play a unique role in such programs.
4. **Research:** Collaborating with researchers and scientists to study elephant behavior, biology, and ecology could provide valuable insights into these magnificent creatures and contribute to conservation efforts.
5. **Community Engagement:** I could involve the local community by organizing events or activities centered around the elephant, fostering a sense of connection and responsibility towards wildlife conservation.
Overall, my approach would prioritize the well-being and welfare of the elephant while also seeking to leverage its presence for positive impact, whether through education, research, therapy, or community engagement."
My response: What I would do with the elephant depends on what kind of elephant I’ve been given.
What kind of elephant is it? Toy elephant? Live elephant? Elephant key chain? …
Start a GoFundMe for the elephant, and then take a cargo plane to its country of origin and let it choose between me or nature...they didn't say that the elephant couldn't choose to leave me
A former director called it the "idiot savant" question, though there's probably some sort of psychological term for it. It's a question meant to throw an interviewee off their preparation and make them think on the spot. His was, "What does the number 714 mean"? His expected answer was "Joe Friday's badge number" (which I knew). I pointed out it was also the number of home runs Babe Ruth hit.
Kill it. Cure the meat. Make a hammick out cured skin of ivoy tusks and feet. Use ears as fans. The other 2 feet will be a base for a night stand an a stool. Make a sleeping bag from the trunk .
Eat and have long naps
Butcher it for ivory and meat and freeze it so you can feed your family for the next 15 years or so, unless elephant tastes gross in which case rent it out for rides to local children, or better yet train it to be a war elephant and smite your enemies with ferocious vigor like Hannibal trampling his foes.
I would ask questions about the elephant is it agressive toward people if so would people be willing to fund it to be released in the wild where they are native or put it down. Also depending if it is healthy or not. Ask around and Find a temporarily space where it can get food and water. If it’s tame could you rent it for rides or zoo take care of it. Also is it trained to do any tricks so it could safely be used in a circus. Also possiblity of it becomeing the mascot for Alabama I’m sure they would find a way to take care of it.
I was once asked, how many marshmallows can fit in the Grand Canyon? The question itself is a test of your personality, how you react to a bizarre question. The fun part is to turn it around on them - what kind of elephant, how old is the elephant, etc..
"The world in which this occurs, with this stipulation, is not the one we live in. So presumably it also differs in any other arbitrary way we choose, and I can for example simply cast a spell on the elephant that causes it to grow wings, and then I can fly it back to Africa or Asia where it belongs."
Jesus! I’ve been job searching but I really have to get out of my current job soon. I hate shit like this. Look at a resume, call for references and interview the potential employee like a normal human being.
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Ride it to work and demand the best parking spot.
Wouldn’t have to demand it; an elephant could flip the car that’s in your spot like it’s a mild inconvenience 😂
Indeed!
Unacceptable!!!
Inconceivable!
Even better, it doesn't need maintenance like a car. Or insurance. And its gas is cheaper. I vote we replace cars with elephants
I beg to differ. The fuel required to keep an elephant running is quite a lot and would be quite pricey as well
You think my local feed store is elephant proof? Everything is free when you have an ~~AK-47~~ elephant
The exhaust from this vehicle is quite substantial too. Need a *_big_* shovel…
Use it to crush my employer's competitors.
*this one understands the hiring process*
I think the real answer is asking for help from someone who knows what to do with an elephant. They want to see if you'll seek the council of someone with more experience in a scenario where you are entirely out of your element, or if you will try to implement some harebrained idea.
This one speaks recruiter.
His username speaks warcrimes
I'm interested, tell me more
You see back in my day when an angry bosnian man and an angry serbian man started arguing…
...the first one to produce an elephant was deemed victor.
Viktor? I heard all the negotiations turned him gay. As in, happy compliant and barely defrenstrated or poisoned...
I'd just put the elephant in the ^ROOM
I was going to kill it and eat it, so I guess I didn't get the job.
Arby’s would hire you.
They have the meats.
I thought the answer was to eat it in small bites over time. 🤷♂️
It's to see how you'd handle or approach something large, like a complex task. But yeah, eat it one bite at a time until you finish it. So you're correct for the most part. Hail yourself!
This was what I first thought too. It doesn’t say it’s a live elephant. Bone apple tea!
I was going to rent it to the circus. They said I couldn’t sell it or give it away.
I’m definitely thought of this as an option
My 1st thoughts were I wonder how much I could eat.
Well technically abandoning the elephant is not forbidden so I’m going with that
Gift it to the guy who gets hired after me as is tradition.
Abandon it in its natural habitat was my answer
It is better to not understand the question and not start working with people who ask these kind of questions. It is a red flag if people make assumptions about your personality based on abstract and subjective questions rather than just asking you what they want to know. It gives you insight in how the rest of your career at this company will be. For me reason enough to honor the red flag and wish them good luck.
I’m a photographer and once interviewed with a real estate agency to take photos of houses for sale. During the interview, the head realtor asked me “Do you love to win or hate to lose?” I responded with “Um, I like to take photos.” I was not offered the job - thankfully.
In my past life when i was in devops which is a job that is created because devs couldnt do ops, and ops couldnt do devving, so the job type devops was created with people doing both. On a job interview for a devops position they forced me to answer the question if i wanted to be dev or an ops. I denied to answer that question. They found me rude and cancelled the further job interview. Well, have fun with it guys! 😂
Eh, a recruiter asking an indirect question during an application isn't always indicative of how the rest of the company works. You can't really tell until you've taken the job, and nothing says you can't resign and start looking again or keep looking for jobs while going through onboarding at your new job.
So now I'm picturing a company that tries to add one random question like this, but it doesn't actually have any bearing on the actual hiring decision. Instead, at the annual company BBQ, and after a few too many martinis, they show the best responses on a slide show anonymously while everyone is finishing up their last piece of the sheet cake that days, "here's to another great year!" I even thought it might be fun to try to guess who answers what, but that would only work if the people doing the selection process were smart. Otherwise, there would be a potential opportunity for bullying or clicque-ish behavior.
March it thru the alps and conquer Rome
It almost happened
As one who's on that side of the table. I'd hire you right now.
Employee of the decade
They'll never forget him.
Like an elephant?
No, no. That would be silly.
CRUSH MY ENEMIES INTO THE DIRT
GRIND THEIR BONES IN TO THE DUST! Look at me, boy, look at your father.
I see you, man!
Turn everyone into H.R. Pickens
War elephant for the win!
See them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women.
Paint it’s nail to be stylish before the upcoming crushing of employers enemies
Hear the lamentations of the accountants!
have it shit on the competition!
Are you an oil baron by chance?
After crossing the alps.
See them driven before you. Hear the lamentation of their managers!
Hired, instant raise! =)
I would put it in my room, and when people come over, the first thing I’d say is “okay, let’s just address the elephant in the room”. That’s how I’d answer that.
I would get a bunch of elephant-sized clothes and when people would come over I'd say, "Okay, let's just dress the elephant in the room."
*\*clears throat\** "Um.. Hello Elephant. nice to meet you ? "
I'm a doctor, you will address me appropriately.
You have a phd in *musical history*, elephant. I’m not going to call you doctor.
Hellophant
let's not talk about it
Put it in a room first.
Talk about what?
The elephant in the room.
What are you talking about?
I’ll tell you what we’re not talking about…
I’d have a free ticket to start up my OnlyPhants page!
That was the dumbest shit I’ve ever ugly laughed too, take my upvote you bastard
That comment made me shit & cum in my pants all at once, take my fucking updoot you goddamn hero. Godspeed. and my axe
I laughed so hard at this my nipples slid down my chest and up under my junk and now live on my ass cheeks like two fucked up eyes. Have my upvoted response to this medical nightmare.
This is why I love Reddit. I laughed so hard, my nuts receded up into my abdomen and exited through a hernia. Take my upvotes you degenerate bastards.
I chickle chuckled so aggressively that my brain misfired and I started to seizure, bit off my tongue, swallowed it, and now I can taste my small intestines. Take my up vote, Broski.
Y’all got problems. And I am totally here for it. ~*sips tea*~
Is it always like this round here cos I could get used to it.
I laughed so I hard spilled my whole coffee on my keyboard! Then I ran in to the kitchen, still laughing, and grabbed a gallon of milk and accidentally spilled it into my computer CPU! Then I started vomiting all over my desk from sheer, uncontrollable laughter! After that I shit in my chair and slipped out of it, cracking my head open on my desk. I started bleeding and shitting all over the ground and ended up laughing and drowning in my own body fluids! Fuck you, you dumb cunt, you destroyed my family and ended my life! Take my uparrow, m'lady!! 😂😂😂
I guess I have to pee this guy's pants for the trifecta
👉😎👉 𝕫𝕠𝕠𝕡!
Someone make an OnlyPhants page please.
r/OnlyPhants
I’ll create it if you promise to subscribe. Trunk pics are extra.
Soooo it's OnlyFans but with elephants? If I had that ticket I'd demand a refund...
Don’t lie. You’d pay extra for personalized content.
They call me Timothy OnlyPhant cause I got the trunk in the front
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Lease it out to a zoo or circus. They left lots of loopholes to exploit.
Leasing was definitely my first thought too. Lease it to a zoo at $1 for a term of 100 years (or until death of the elephant). Might even get a clause built in that I can get into the zoo for free (to check on my elephant), with my family. That’d be a nice bonus.
Exactly where my mind went. Demonstrates both the ability to expose loopholes while being compassionate. Adding the zoo pass is creative, I think it would be a good addition for adding that you will still exploit the situation to your benefit in a relatively harmless way.
That was my first thought.
I was thinking I would tell the police that I'm being forced to accept an elephant and being told that I can't give it away.
Just don't call PETA. They'll put it down.
Really? Isn't that kinda against their whole thing...
[Sadly, no](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/peta-leads-the-pack-in-killing-dogs-and-cats/) >PETA’s kill rate in 2023 was an astonishing 76 percent for dogs, 81 percent for cats, and 78 percent for all animals in its care. In comparison, all Virginia public agencies euthanized 9 percent of dogs, 11 percent of cats, and 10 percent of all animals.
[Peta legit believe that it's better to die than be a slave.](https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/peta-animal-rights_b_1636097) Even kidnapping animals from peoples yards to kill them.
They're going to have to put it down, elephants are really heavy.
And potentially delicious
You sparked my curiosity.
No, PETA is awful, they stole a dog from a porch and put it down before the family could reclaim it - they didn't even wait the mandatory week. They are just insane.
Not what I’ve read or heard over the years. I’ve read they put down more animals than other organization.
Sadly no, they put down a lot of animals. I think they would rather put an animal down rather than it being a pet.
Calling an animal names isn't nice.
PETA kills more animals than every government agency in the US annually (except maybe the ATF).
The ATF is too small an agency to compete with PETA for dead pets. They're above-average on a per-capita-and-on-video perspective. But nothing like PETA.
ATF only comes after your dogs.
Nah they are against animals being pets, if they can’t be pets and can’t live in the wild. They kill ‘em. Their mindset (I would imagine) is that eventually if they kill all the pets, then all animals would be free to live in nature (and starve or get eaten alive)
Not really their whole thing is animal freedom or whatever. They are even against animal ownership so like they don't like when u keep pets, there is a very well known case where they stole a dog of some dudes front yard and in 3 days they put the dog down
This is the only correct answer. No matter how you really look at the situation, unless you're a millionaire, you'll eventually be noticed and get into a legal battle. It costs a salary to feed and maintain one of these creatures. It will likely be kept in inhumane conditions even if you dumped all your money into it.
What the hell are you talking about, you have an elephant dude lol get a loan and Buy a tank as well now they can't do nothing, you have an elephant and a tank, think of all the war crimes you can do
Battle tank and battle elephant. Can fight most things throughout the ages!
Can’t you eat it as well?
I'd "loan it" to a sanctuary for free, like art.
Take it for walks and deem it to be “my emotional support elephant”.
Get a giant harness stating this supposed purpose and try to bring it into Target.
Harness will take too long, bright pink spray paint however...
*immediately brings it on an airplane*
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Move the butter first.
Easy. Loan it to a zoo indefinitely while retaining ownership.
🤔 smart move 💰
Eat it, one bite at a time.
I actually got this question in an interview. I answered, “eat it, have you seen the cost of groceries?” I figured a snarky answer for a dumb question was appropriate.
Hired immediately!
"candidate seems money oriented and desperate"
I once gave snarky answers to *every* question. Hired right away.
this has been here and around the web an lot. if you honestly asked why?: its an commonly used parable in thai/ about the king of siam. all white elephants are automatically belonging to the royal family, they are considered holy and harming them, putting them to work or letting harm befall it is an bad omen. and highly illegal. so the king would gift rivals an white elephant. you wherent allowed to have it work. or profit from it. and it needed to be revered and pampered like an living god, with its own servants,priests ,food and lodging. albinos are highly vulnerable to the sun. and elephants eat an lot and grow pretty old, so tending to it takes an few servants all day for propably longer than you live. also the elephant you own would still be under the kings partronage , and he dosnt like you, so expect unanounced controlls , and god forbid the elephant gets harmed or dies. there will be an full scale investigation if you are responsible. and if you are. 1000years of bad yuyu over your ancestors and execution for you. also you cant refuse an gift from the king, or regift such an valuable and honrable gift. so either the king gets an excuse to get rid of you and dishonours your entire family, or ruins you financially. "being gifted an white elephant" is an somewhat obscure parable here in europe too, it basically means you are the percipient of an curse hiding itself as an boon. like being promoted to an job with more responsibility and same pay. or inheriting an piece of land thats attached to an lot of debt, or an old house that is rotting away while being an protected heritage site.
>"being gifted an white elephant" is an somewhat obscure parable here in europe too, it basically means you are the percipient of an curse hiding itself as an boon. That's so odd that it has such a negative origin because my only experience with that term was from a "white elephant" gift exchange thing at a church when I was young and it was a very positive thing where you picked a number and it just said the person's age/gender then you got that person a gift.
Originally, white elephant gift exchanges were supposed to follow the curse-hiding-itself-as-a-boon process... though in a much less cursed way. The gifts were supposed to be silly or somewhat unusable... I've been to plenty of such gift exchanges where those involved clearly didn't get the memo and the gifts were mostly just regular type gifts.
I worked at a company where people very much did it in the old style, giving gifts that were impractical, funny, or just weird. There were gifts that were rewrapped and given year after year, in boxes that were way too big or the wrong shape to throw people off. It was a lot of fun.
I've been to a white elephant gift exchange for a church group where someone DEFINITELY got the memo. Someone gifted to the group a bag of edibles. Weed was illegal in the state this gift exchange happened.
that would be known as "wichteln" here loosly translated to "do as an gnome " giving people small anonymous gifts. usually done here around christmas, especially in companys. you would pull an name of an coworker out of an head and then gift them something without telling them who.
Reminds me of Arrakis in Dune. It was a "gift" from the emperor but it was really a trap.
I'm glad you gave this much context, I think it's a good enough interview question, certainly better than "What is your best strength" or such shit. But for the love of god, you must be trolling by using 'an' instead of 'a'.
Call Bill Murray
You know, props to Bill Murray for doing an entire family movie with an elephant in the 90s without a single poop joke.
Mount it and bring down the Roman Empire.
Ride into battle
Through the Alps!
Sell rides and photos with elephant. Elephant food has to be expensive, it has to make some money to feed it somehow
Stampy! ❤️
Uh, Milhouse saw the elephant twice and rode him once, right? Yes, but we paid you $4, Well, that was under our old price structure.
Your kid flew 5 feet, that counts as a ride!
March it over the Alps to attack Rome
Put it in a room and tell people not to mention it.
Sell everything you own and move to the country. You need at least a 50 acre field, fenced off with large animal proof gates. It will cost minimum $75,000 per year for vet bills and food. Between $15,000-$50,000 for transportation and training (if you wish). It will be lonely and depressed if it's the only animal, so it will need much of your attention for bonding. Considering it'd going to cost a fortune to raise the animal, you'll need a higher paying job. If you cannot find said higher paying job, you will be sucked dry by the cost of maintaining said elephant, and eventually lose your home and your health will decline. You and the elephant will be living on the streets. Law Enforcmeent will assess your situation and likely contact a zoo to take the elephant away from you. So yeah, unless your income is $200k+ and you can relocate, you'll either die in poverty or have the elephant taken from you, without your consent, by officials. Easy. What else?
I would *love* to see the interviewers face when you tell them this.
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This is a question often seen in interviews to be a salesmen. The correct answer is to sell it or, the trick third answer, to rent it out to people. It’s supposed to show how hungry you are…. It’s nonsense
actually, I would love getting this question on a job interview. seems like an absolute gimmie opportunity to showcase your personality and use it to rise above all the other candidates. among 20 identical resumes, the funniest and cleverest elephant answer’s gotta win, right? unlike other ridiculous application hoops (a video entry, for example) the annoyance/potential ratio seems off the charts in favor of potential here.
I let him loose in my neighbors' backyard (I hate them).
Pop a saddle on that bad mammerjammer, then hire the guy from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show to follow us.
Hard R there is wild
Mate it to a rhinoceros. What to know what you get? Elephino!
Invade Rome.
Trick question. Received a big problem, you can accept or refuse. Real life, there is always a elephant, its a two man job and they are only hiring one and expect this one to maintain the elephant or if you are really good make it a Chihuahua, next day you receive two elephants.
sorry but r/ihadastroke
Sorry didn't understand, because of my English?
no, it was just difficult to understand what you said. how do 2 elephants become a chihuahua?
Meaning if you can handle one (make it into a chihuahua so it’s a manageable task) then you will get a 2nd one to manage as well. If I’m understanding correctly, it’s a way for the company to maximize productivity at your expense. Basically, exploit your abilities until they can no longer be exploited
That's what I was saying.
In the original dilemma refusing was not an option, though
I think the point is, if someone (your prospective employer) gives you a big task that is going take a lot of work, do you try or do you give up.
My thoughts exactly. It seems like an allegory for inheriting a large responsibility. An example of a good answer might be: "[Preparation] I would spend time researching general elephant needs and strategies for care. Ask the previous owners if there are any quirks to the elephant, what it likes and dislikes, any special instructions. [Design] I would draft a plan for a care routine and design a sensible enclosure. Create a budget for expected expenses. Then have those reviewed by an elephant expert and a contractor. I love critical feedback especially at this phase of a project (wink).... etc"
I think it's more about creative thinking
This is ChatGPT's response: "If faced with the scenario of being given an elephant with the condition of being unable to give it away or sell it, I would approach the situation with careful consideration for the well-being of the elephant and those around me. Here are some potential ways I might handle the situation: 1. **Create a Sanctuary:** If I have the resources and space, I would consider creating a sanctuary or safe habitat for the elephant where it can live comfortably and receive proper care. This could involve working with wildlife experts and animal welfare organizations to ensure the elephant's needs are met. 2. **Educational Programs:** I might explore opportunities to use the elephant as an educational resource. This could involve hosting educational programs or outreach events to raise awareness about elephant conservation, wildlife protection, and environmental issues. 3. **Therapeutic Programs:** Elephants are known for their intelligence and emotional sensitivity. I might investigate options for incorporating the elephant into therapeutic programs for individuals with special needs or those undergoing rehabilitation. Interacting with animals can have profound therapeutic benefits for people, and the elephant could play a unique role in such programs. 4. **Research:** Collaborating with researchers and scientists to study elephant behavior, biology, and ecology could provide valuable insights into these magnificent creatures and contribute to conservation efforts. 5. **Community Engagement:** I could involve the local community by organizing events or activities centered around the elephant, fostering a sense of connection and responsibility towards wildlife conservation. Overall, my approach would prioritize the well-being and welfare of the elephant while also seeking to leverage its presence for positive impact, whether through education, research, therapy, or community engagement."
ChatGPT is rich.
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Everyone in the comments just assumes they somehow (magically?) are in control of the elephant 😁
My response: What I would do with the elephant depends on what kind of elephant I’ve been given. What kind of elephant is it? Toy elephant? Live elephant? Elephant key chain? …
Start a GoFundMe for the elephant, and then take a cargo plane to its country of origin and let it choose between me or nature...they didn't say that the elephant couldn't choose to leave me
Bart Simpson: GIVE ME MY ELEPHANT!!!
A former director called it the "idiot savant" question, though there's probably some sort of psychological term for it. It's a question meant to throw an interviewee off their preparation and make them think on the spot. His was, "What does the number 714 mean"? His expected answer was "Joe Friday's badge number" (which I knew). I pointed out it was also the number of home runs Babe Ruth hit.
Train it to fill out job applications
Can't give it away or selling it, but what if I rend it out?
Kill it. Cure the meat. Make a hammick out cured skin of ivoy tusks and feet. Use ears as fans. The other 2 feet will be a base for a night stand an a stool. Make a sleeping bag from the trunk . Eat and have long naps
I would use it to demonstrate how DC electrical currents are safer than AC current is to screw over Tesla.
I would ask my houseguests to just ignore the elephant in the room.
Butcher it for ivory and meat and freeze it so you can feed your family for the next 15 years or so, unless elephant tastes gross in which case rent it out for rides to local children, or better yet train it to be a war elephant and smite your enemies with ferocious vigor like Hannibal trampling his foes.
Simpsons did it!
Make it an office elephant at my new job
I would train the animal to make beer runs
Kill it.
Quit my job and become a full time elephant carer. I mean it's the only option available at this point.
Is the elephant African or Indian?
I would ask questions about the elephant is it agressive toward people if so would people be willing to fund it to be released in the wild where they are native or put it down. Also depending if it is healthy or not. Ask around and Find a temporarily space where it can get food and water. If it’s tame could you rent it for rides or zoo take care of it. Also is it trained to do any tricks so it could safely be used in a circus. Also possiblity of it becomeing the mascot for Alabama I’m sure they would find a way to take care of it.
I would report the donor to the authorities because it is illegal for private citizens in my country to own an elephant.
I was once asked, how many marshmallows can fit in the Grand Canyon? The question itself is a test of your personality, how you react to a bizarre question. The fun part is to turn it around on them - what kind of elephant, how old is the elephant, etc..
KBBL is gonna give me something stupid!
"The world in which this occurs, with this stipulation, is not the one we live in. So presumably it also differs in any other arbitrary way we choose, and I can for example simply cast a spell on the elephant that causes it to grow wings, and then I can fly it back to Africa or Asia where it belongs."
Obviously rent it out to circuses and carnivals for profit.
Ride it to work each morning
Name it Stampy and charge people to take pictures with it.
Ask the zoo if they can spare an encloser for my elephant. Then visit my buddy whenever i can.
My answer: Make it my hiring manager.
My first thought was “Well, I have an elephant now, so I better get it insured.” And that actually seems like a good way to start you answer!
Jesus! I’ve been job searching but I really have to get out of my current job soon. I hate shit like this. Look at a resume, call for references and interview the potential employee like a normal human being.
Rent it out to generate an income stream Or if the elephant is a problem, you eat it one bite at a time