Illusion

You may argue despite of all the problems, it remains a good idea to gain some real-life experience and try to feel what our patients feel. (It is exactly for this argument that until very lately, one of the special elective projects of our first year medical student was to put on a leg cast and stay on a wheelchair for a week – just to experience what a patient with leg fracture feels.)

On this, for a third time, I beg to disagree.

For, although sympathy – or, in our context, considering the need and benefit of others – is an objective action, empathy – in this case, feel what our patients feel – is an illusion. The simple explanation is what I mentioned yesterday: No two persons would feel the same even if they share the same experience. As Hercule Poirot teased Arthur Hastings in Murder on the Links: We saw the same things. Shouldn’t we arrive at the same conclusion?

Of course not.

And, in our case, the fault is similar to mistaking a murderer as a goddess. By having the same life experience as our patients, we are convinced we know their feelings.

We will be playing god.

But, there is a more important (and obvious) reason.