A bit of magic required

[摘要] In the introduction to his recently-released compilation of assorted pieces of general practice journalism,1 Roger Neighbour muses on various motivations for writing. An allusion that resonates with me is of writing as an activity to divert our attention from the intrinsic dissatisfaction and ultimate incomprehensibility of the human predicament. In this sense, medicine can serve a similar purpose to writing: ‘Having doctors is one way of making ourselves feel better.’, writes Neighbour, ‘Being a doctor is another.’ I agree that all these activities (writing, being a patient and being a doctor) can go some way towards alleviating life's stresses, injustices and perplexities.

[学科分类] 卫生学