It's a matter of humility, and hinges on the empirical claim that uninformed actions are more likely to harm than help in complicated systems (hence, the George

It's a matter of humility, and hinges on the empirical claim that uninformed actions are more likely to harm than help in complicated systems (hence, the George Washington blood-letting example). Hastening someone's death because you can't admit you don't know what you're doing is and, by golly, you're trying, is not an excuse.