Who do you trust?
“One reason we rely so heavily on ____(a particular resource) is because (this person) is willing to question the status quo—and to acknowledge that he might not have all the answers.”
(from an article on a medical specialist who is posing new questions about the role of Epstein-Barr virus in a number of chronic maladies).
Some people pose questions about why something has to be the way it is and poke around the edges or jump into the middle to see if there’s another way to think about the situation. Others simply shrug their shoulders and accept without question that “it is what it is.” And then some believe that something desperately needs to change but are too stymied and immobilized to even envision or examine other options.
The example that comes to mind for me is the doctor who suspected that ulcers and stomach cancer were not simply caused by excess stomach acid or stress or eating certain foods. He believed an infectious agent might be at work. Others scoffed. His story is below.
Like Solomon’s observation: There is a time for everything under heaven…..There is a time to question assumptions or dictums that result in someone winning while someone else loses. There is a time to poke around the edges or jump in the middle and say…..”something doesn’t make sense here.” “There’s more to this than what it appears.” If you are the kind of person that questions, asking “What it?” or “Why not?” get used to some scoffing and looks of dismissal. You are in the minority. And you will also annoy, aggravate, and out-and-out antagonize some (especially those with a vested interest in the status quo). Be ready. You will have to make decisions about what’s more important…gaining favor, placating or being true to the person you are. And there is a place for people who poke and jump.
http://discovermagazine.com/2010/mar/07-dr-drank-broth-gave-ulcer-solved-medical-mystery
http://goop.com/the-medical-medium-and-whats-potentially-at-the-root-of-medical-mysteries/