How other's remarks shape our personality?

Once upon a time there was a baby elephant who heard someone say: "Look, there is a mouse." The person who said it was looking at a mouse- but the elephant thought that he was referring to him.

Now, there were very few mice in that country, and in any case they tended to stay in their holes, and their voices were not very loud. But the baby elephant thundered around, ecstatic at his discovery, "I am a mouse!"

He said it so loudly and so often, and to so many people that-believe it or not-there is no an entire country where almost everyone believes that elephant, and particularly baby elephants, are mice.

It is true that from time to time mice have tried to remonstrate with those who hold the majority belief: but they have always been put to flight.

And if anyone ever wants to reopen the question of mice and elephants in those parts, he had better have a good reason, strong nerves and an effective mens of parting his case.