Comparing statically compiled languages to elephants is actually quite fitting.

Elephants are strong, reliable, and efficient when properly managed*, just like statically typed/compiled languages (C++, Rust, Go, C#) which offer *performance, safety, and strong guarantees* at compile time.

But elephants also require care, experience, and expertise to handle*, and can become stressed or unwieldy if overloaded or mismanaged — similarly, statically compiled languages tend to have higher complexity, longer build times, and steeper learning curves, which can cause pain as projects scale or evolve.

Plus, elephants are majestic and powerful, but not the most agile — likewise, static languages sometimes feel "heavy" or less flexible compared to dynamic languages in rapid prototyping or scripting.

This analogy works nicely to capture the tradeoff between power and complexity. They are great "workhorses", but you need good "handlers" (developers and tools) to keep them calm and effective.

Where do you stand on this? Do you like the power and strength of static typing or the flexibility that dynamic typing offers?