4 ms·

This is completely off-topic, but: I was at a talk last week where a politician (local school board guy) explained his engagement with the public thusly: We're

This is completely off-topic, but: I was at a talk last week where a politician (local school board guy) explained his engagement with the public thusly: We're trustees. We tell you what needs to be done; we tell you how much money it's going to take; we let you make the decision. It feels exactly like how the doctor went about explaining their options. And I like it.

danieltillett 12y ago
Unfortunately this is not how most politicians operate. Doctors are not gods. They are experts we consult for advice on the best way to solve a problem. If I ask an architect how I should go about building a house I expect to be told the truth - I don't want to find out halfway through a build that the idea I suggested means the house will now cost three time more than the available budget. Sometime there are no good solutions (like in the story), but even in this case the patient should be told the truth if they want to know it.