#objectivity

jjc@societas.online

"Sir William Osler, one of the fathers of modern medicine, is widely quoted as having said that objectivity is the essential quality of the true physician. What he actually said is different and far more profound than that. The original quote was in Latin and it is the Latin word aequanimatas which is usually translated as "objectivity." But aequanimatas means "calmness of mind," or "inner peace."
Inner peace is certainly the ultimate resource for those dealing with suffering on a daily basis. But this isn't something achieved by distancing yourself from the suffering around you. Inner peace is more a question of cultivating perspective, meaning, and wisdom even as life touches you with its pain. It is more a spiritual quality than a mental quality."
- Dr Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom

(As quoted by Mel Hopper Koppelman)
#medicine #objectivity #osler