‘Canonicity’: the Book or the Reader?

[HerenIstarion]

Why are we putting so much effort into worrying about whether our writings are 'canonical' or not?

I think I know the answer to that question:

Because you (and you, yes, you too!) all are in league plotting my ruin. For surely I'll be fired if I spend an instant more of my office time reading this unending thread, instead of actually doing some work I'm paid for!

As a bonus, be enlightened by the following:

Three blind men were shown into a stall were elephant (oliophaunt?) was kept. None of them has seen one before, so they were asked to touch it and then give their opinion about such a wondrous animal. But as they approached it from different sides, so the body parts they felt were different. So one said: 'elephant is like to a rope' (as he touched the tail), ‘nay’, said another, 'it is like a tree-trunk' (leg was the part of his choice), 'what are you two talking about?', came in the third, 'it's like a snake!' (for it was proboscis in his hand). So they quarreled, and could not agree upon which was right

Now, I hold they all were right

But, free-reader people, do not rejoice, for I’m not joining your ranks

Though I hold that all three blind men were right, I hold such a belief with a proviso there were no one with clear sight to tell them about elephant.

Tolkien is such a sighted one.

cheers