Decision

Many of you may have heard of the following story:

One day, Plato asked Socrates what love was.

Socrates said, “Go across this field, and pick the biggest and best ear of wheat. Remember one thing. You cannot go back and have only one chance.”

After a long time, Plato came back with nothing. Socrates asked what happened.

“I once saw some big and nice wheat, but wondered if better ones were yet to come. So I just passed by, but the later ones were not better than before. Thus I had nothing at last.”

Socrates said this was love.

(If you wish to know the second half of the story, read this: http://vwswong.blogspot.com/2009/06/happiness.html)

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No, I'm not going to write anything romantic.

Just that the same considerations apply when we make clinical decisions. If you keep going to look for better evidence to prove a diagnosis (or to exclude alternative possibilities), you may well miss the opportunity to treat the patient.