Good

KM is involved in screening the applicants of new medical officers next year - one of them is D who, not surprisingly, receives quite a number of less than favorable comments from the others.

I node, "D is a good person, but hardly a good physician."

"Why, a good person is the very quality of a good physician." CB, as usual, puts up an objection.

I do not say more; my mind brings me back to a scene in the classic Japanese comics - Candy Candy (小甜甜). It was around the time of World War I, when Candy was an all too enthusiastic student nurse. There was another girl in the same class who, as expected, was knowledgeable but cool, and did not get on very well with the orphan. There was a moment when the two of them argued how best to help a patient, and Candy said, "I am no good at book work, but just a kind heart - and that's the most important thing."

"No," the distinction student retorted, "What good could you do besides soothing the patient ? I know what could be done and how to do them all. If you know nothing, what you do - despite of its best intention - may actually harm the patient."

Yes, most of the disasters in human history did not come from devils, but those (who believe they were) saviours of all men.