Risk normalization vs. an ethos of safety posted on 2025-10-28
I recently returned from a trip to Zion National Park, in the beautiful state of Utah, where a tragic accident led to the death of a 58-year-old man who fell while rappelling in Pine Creek Canyon. Known for its massive sandstone cliffs, giant slot canyons, and challenging hiking trails, the park is a famous destination [Read More]
Diane Keaton and altruism in the movies posted on 2025-10-22
Diane Keaton passed away on October 11, 2025. She was seventy-nine years old. Versatile and classy, she defined the roles she was given rather than letting those roles define her. During a fifty-five-year movie career that included one Academy Award (in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, 1977) and numerous star-billings alongside male movie greats such as Al [Read More]
Dimensions of Medical Altruism posted on 2025-10-17
Medical altruism is usually considered a virtue that is critical to defining a physician’s moral character. However, one of its more noticeable manifestations is behavioral, reflecting compassion, responsibility, and a sense of moral obligation. Indeed, medical altruism translates into a commitment by health care providers to use their power, position, privilege, and knowledge in the [Read More]
Medical Altruism: It’s not simple posted on 2025-10-13
The concept of medical altruism, which is central to health care delivery and both patient and physician well-being, is extraordinarily complex. Filled with nuance and interconnected layers, even its definition is problematic. Usually understood as a dynamic, context-dependent virtue, medical altruism can be viewed as a commitment by medical providers (physicians, nurses, and other providers) to [Read More]
Are you a Hedgehog or a Fox? posted on 2025-10-08
The philosopher Isaiah Berlin structured one of his most famous essays about the literary masterpiece, War and Peace, by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, on a quote from the Greek poet Archilochus (640-685 BCE): “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” Berlin essentially described a dichotomy of thought, practice, and philosophy, contrasting [Read More]