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| "Self-Portrait with the Portrait of Doctor Farill" (1951) by Frida Kahlo |
Do you think our society treats experts with too much deference? Are we too reluctant to argue with professionals and the highly educated? Would we be better off as a society if we were less intimidated by the highly educated?
Or would you say that our society does not pay enough respect to the considered views of educated professionals and trusts too much in rumor, anecdote, personal experience, conspiracy theories and random YouTube videos?
I know for me personally I trust too much in what experts have to say. I find it very easy to be intimidated by the highly educated. How can they be wrong, they have more education than I have. I can not speak for all of society, but I do see this happening often in our society. Think of school, we were taught at a young age that the teacher (who has more education than us) was never wrong. I would say that society would be better off if we weren't intimidated by the highly educated, because then we could ask questions and in the case of Grandma Betty avoid "a farming-related brush with death".
ReplyDelete-Kaylee Thoma
For most cases I believe doctors deserve our respect and a chance for us to listen to the diagnosis they give us. But I am not saying that they are never wrong, I'm saying that they have spent many, many years studying everything under the sun so that they can help you to the best of their abilities. Doctors are still people and they will make mistakes and so I do not think people should be afraid to question what they are saying if they think it to be wrong. I just think that if a doctor shows you reasonable proof that what they are saying is correct than we should at the very least listen to what they have to say. Only you know your body completely, if there is something wrong and the problem is not obvious, you should suggest to the doctor that they should take a new approach and look in different direction to try and figure it out. I think in Grandma betty's case this would have helped her out.
ReplyDeleteI believe that society should respect the views of educated professionals but also be less intimidated by them. I have a long history with medical issues, so I have visited multiple doctors in my lifetime. I know the familiar feeling of intimidation that doctors can give (though usually unintentionally). However, I have been blessed to have doctors who treat me with the utmost care and respect: they listen carefully to my descriptions of the pain or problems I have been experiencing and offer their suggestion of what it could possibly be, which is usually correct. Then they discuss the plan of action that I could take, but they always ensure that I (and my mom) approve of the plan before carrying it out. Because of this, I believe that most doctors, as well as other educated professionals, genuinely care about doing their best at their job, which they have trained for long and hard. Nevertheless, they are all human like everyone else, so they will make mistakes. We should therefore treat these professionals with respect, but we should not be afraid to question them when we believe they may be wrong, as was the case with Grandma Betty.
ReplyDeleteBethany Bengs
I agree with you on the premise that society should respect the perspectives of educational professionals, as they should with any human being, and that we should not feel nervous about questioning them. With that being said, it might be easier said than done. For instance, I recently went to a doctor who, despite being kind and thoughtful, rattled off a list of intricate names of medicines to invest in without providing the most in-depth explanations as to what they were. He would describe the health problems thoroughly using an advanced medical vocabulary, and although I tried to grasp what he was saying, it was difficult to comprehend. Of course, I respect the doctor and his work, but not only is the idea of his higher education intimidating, but also his obvious portrayal of it.
Delete-Payton Hodges
I agree that not being intimidated by doctors is much easier said than done. Even with all the doctors I have visited, I still find myself a little intimidated when they use terminology I do not understand. I do not know if we will ever get to the point where we are completely comfortable around these highly educated professionals, but I do think one thing we can do that might help us feel less intimidated by them is change our mindset about them. We exalt doctors to the point where we think they are better than us because of their education, thus making us feel intimidated. Furthermore, telling these professionals the symptoms we have been having can be difficult, whether we have trouble conveying our problems to others in the first place or if our symptoms are just embarrassing to us. However, if we start to think of doctors not as better than us but as fellow human beings who are using their talents to help others live the best lives they can, our intimidation of them may start to decrease. We may find it easier to communicate with them as we realize that they want to help us feel better and not judge us for our symptoms, leading us to be honest with them and ask questions when we do not understand something. Again, this is easier said than done, and it may not work for everyone due to different circumstances, but if we can become less intimidated of doctors and other educated professionals, we can form better relationships with them that benefit us all.
DeleteBethany Bengs
I definitely think we should respect doctors, and their judgments. There are times when their professional opinions might be wrong and we look elsewhere, but as someone who has family members working in the medical field and studies these things it is wise to listen to their diagnosis. Doctors spend years studying and learning about their field, and still have to continue their education even through their career. I do think there is a fear or intimidation we get when we see doctors, and that as a society should change. Researching things online may sometimes be helpful, but instead we should go to doctors and ask them the questions. We should have them explain it to us, and the steps they went through to come up with their diagnosis. It might seem an overload at first, but most doctors will explain it as they want you to get better and will do everything in their power to help their patients get back to where they once were.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, I tend to get nervous around those who have a much higher education than I. I do not ask them questions or tell them that I disagree because I know that they know more about the subject than I do. If I were Grandma Betty, I would have done the same thing. I like to assume that doctors know their diagnosis on patients and in my experience, they do. Those with a higher knowledge worked very hard to gain that, but we should not be so intimidated that we feel afraid to ask them questions.
ReplyDelete-Abigail Fowler
I occasionally feel intimidated around people with higher education than me. Since they have more education, they must know what they're talking about after all, right? Sometimes it can be hard to realize that doctors and such are people too just like me and you, and that their main goals are to help us. We shouldn't feel intimidated around people who are trying to make our lives better.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our society tends to trust too much in what experts have to say. Oftentimes, we do not question the highly educated. Talking to someone who has a higher education than you can be very intimidating. However, you do not have to believe or agree with everything they have to say. Even experts get things wrong. I do not think that arguing is the answer though. I would simply hear them out and get all the facts first before forming my opinion. In a medical situation, I would research the topic before deciding on anything. Our society needs to respect experts, but also don’t be too intimidated to question what the experts are saying. We do not need to be so quick to agree with everything the experts are saying.
ReplyDelete- Chasey Terry
I agree that our society often believes the experts without doubting any of it. The doctors and other highly educated people are here to make our lives better, so they believe what they are telling you is correct, but we are all human and we all make mistakes sometimes. Would you rather the doctor accidently diagnose you with something worse then what you have or misdiagnose you with something not as bad as what you actually have? After getting a diagnoses, you should conduct some of your own research just to be sure that the diagnosis sounds correct. Trust doctors and those that are highly educated, but do not think that you are underqualified to use your brain and do your own research on the subject.
DeleteI think that it really depends on the situation. On one hand, doctors are not just given their title. They went to school for years while studying how to give out proper diagnoses. Most of the time, doctors do know what they're talking about, especially with today's technology. If we're being honest, it is not uncommon for the less educated to get on Wikipedia and self-diagnose ourselves with a life-threatening illness. However, there are also so many cases where it just boils down to knowing yourself and your body. A doctor can't tell you if you are feeling unwell. It is important to firmly voice how you feel when a situation such as this arises.
ReplyDeleteI believe, like many others, that educated professionals, like doctors do deserve a certain level of respect. They have gone through years of rigorous training and education to help their patients to the best of their ability, but they are still human and being human means they can make mistakes. I do believe that we should learn as much as we can from our doctors about what problems are going on so we aren't just blindly letting them do whatever they see fit. However, I would suggest getting information from your doctor not the internet, such as "WebMD", because a lot of times we can falsely diagnose ourselves, believing we have something far worse, while also taking credit away from the trained professionals. Our society is split on whether they should believe "WebMD" or an actual MD. Personal experiences fix your opinion on which side of society you fall on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Smarsh that obesity and methamphetamine addictions are both ailments that cry for medical care. Although I believe that a person can stay away from drugs and can try to maintain a healthy weight, sometimes, these situations are out of their control. Although placing themselves in an environment to get help is well in their control. People who struggle with these diseases often find themselves struggling to get out of the dark place they have been put in. With medical help, people who struggle with obesity can figure out what has made them gain weight, how they need to lose it, and how to maintain their goal weight. Those who struggle with addiction can also seek medical help that will show them how to fight their habits.
ReplyDeleteI think that our society is reluctant to disagree with educated professionals. In the case of a doctor, they go to 8 years of school and then must complete a 3-7 year residency. In my opinion, they have earned enough respect to make an educated decision on what’s wrong with me. That’s not to say they can’t make mistakes. Doctors get sued all the time for messing up, and although most doctors think they are, they aren’t Gods. This is something patients need to realize too. We need to have trust and respect for our doctors, but we don’t need to worship them as miracle workers. I think when you see it in that perspective, you’re able to have a nice balance of trust and awareness that mistakes happen.
ReplyDeleteI would say that you are the only one that truly know how you feel. A doctor goes to school for many years to make inferences based on the information that you give them and that in which they witness. They are typically correct, but people have a right to question what the doctors say if they are confused or feel as though something is wrong with the prognosis of an ailment. Questioning authority, not only helps you understand the authority figure more but it also helps you learn more about yourself, especially about a medical issue.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! Everyone should be aware of what they are being diagnosed with and have the right to question the professionals about the procedures and steps they are taking. No one is perfect and mistakes are inevitable. Even doctors can make mistakes. I used to be one of those people that trust doctors blindly. However, after my mom was misdiagnosed and given completely different medication a few years back, I started making sure that our concerns were heard. The doctor that had misdiagnosed my mom had ignored one of her symptoms which, afterwards, made me very cautious to make sure every symptoms/signs are heard and listed.
DeleteI think that we trust the thoughts and views of highly educated medical professionals more than we should. We are our own body and many times we are able to tell when something is wrong long before a medical professional is needed. With this being said, a medical professional may not at all times know exactly what is wrong, and you can always trust the signals your own body is sending you.
ReplyDelete- Raynee Taliaferro
I believe that we should definitely respect doctors and what they say because they are so highly educated, and no doubt worked extremely hard to get where they are now. Their whole job is to "inspect" people and figure out what is causing our bodies to not function properly, and most of them do this job to the best of their abilities. For those doctors, the ones that care for each and every one of their patients, I am so thankful. Albeit, there are some doctors that are in the game specifically for the money and not because they truly care and want to help nurse the public back to health. They may care for those that they know will be able to pay in full, but when someone like Grandma Betty comes along, they simply say that they cannot find anything wrong with you and send you on your merry way. It is highly educated professionals like this that I do not look up to or feel as though we should be reluctant to argue with their conclusions. Yes, they worked hard the earn our respect, but they did not work hard to keep it.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the doctor’s office is not enjoyable to me. I always feel like I am not in control of anything. I recently had surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed, and when they unleashed the sleeping gas, I immediately lost control of my body. They could have done anything to me during the surgery. They could have spit in my mouth during the surgery. If they did, I would never know. Even when I have fever, I tend to stay away from the doctor. However, when I absolutely must go to the doctor’s office, I have to trust them and hope they know what they are doing. Obviously, if the doctor tells me something that is unreasonable, I would not trust them. However, I wish I could tell when the doctor is making a mistake or if they do not care to help me in any way. It certainly puts my life on the line. What if they put something in the medicine that could possibly kill me or not cure my illness? Even though they might lead me astray, they know more about what I need to do to heal. I wish there was some way to fix the issue, but for now I have to pray to God that the doctor can fix whatever the problem is whenever I have to see them.
ReplyDeleteEvery piece of advice given to someone from an educated professional will not be the best thing to do. It is simply not possible. Despite a highly educated person’s credentials, they are still human, and they will make errors. However, I do not believe this is not enough cause to lose trust or to be intimidated by the highly educated. In certain instances, I think it perfectly fair to question one doctor’s opinion and seek out another’s.
ReplyDeleteBut, in other instances when a majority of professionals agree on a topic, I am more inclined to believe their stance. Let’s take climate change, for example. Studies and peer-reviewed journals explain that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that trends of global warming as caused by human actions (Nuccitelli). Despite this consensus, there are many who disagree. It is likely from a lack of trust in the highly educated, or because of what is popularized by politics and media. In this case, I would say that society would treat experts with too much apprehension.
https://thebulletin.org/2019/08/millions-of-times-later-97-percent-climate-consensus-still-faces-denial/
This is a difficult one. I do believe we should treat doctors like the well educated people they are. But I am also aware that we need to argue our case. Doctors don't listen all the time. You should never be intimidated by a doctor. 3 years ago, my best friend was having health complications. She was always dizzy, passed out a lot, had frequent headaches, and had difficulty remembering things. She was about 16 at the time. Her mother took her to 4 different doctors. Each time she was ignored because my friend was a teenage girl complaining about dizzy spells. None of the doctors would take them seriously or regarded the case with much concern. Eventually they went to the ER in Edmond. After a CT scan they found a brain tumor the size of a large lemon. 4 doctors ignored my friend, and could have cost her her life. Doctors do deserve our respect due to the amount of schooling they go through. But you should always fight your case. They don't always know best 100% of the time.
ReplyDeleteSociety relies on experts for any, and everything. From doctors to help people heal to meteorologist who predict the weather. Each expert has a different level of trust associated with them. Doctors are highly trusted because they went to school for years, and they make a lot of money so they have to know everything. However, meteorologist are trusted to a much lesser extent. This is because meteorologist try to predict the weather that can change at anytime, but this is also because of how society ranks occupations. People tend to put too much trust in individuals that society ranks higher than others. Even through a person might have gone to school for over a decade does not mean they are always right, because everyone makes mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fine line to walk between trust and distrust in educated professionals. Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death according to statistics as recent as 2018. Wall street types in fancy suites, like Bernie Madoff or Jordan Belfort, swindled numerous people on the basis that they were skilled in financial matters and should be trusted. But that's not to say we shouldn't go to the doctor or you should fire your tax accountant. Our society would benefit from a healthy level of skepticism and seeking second opinions. You shouldn't take anything as complete fact. Nor should you believe that every professional is wrong or just trying to make a profit off of your needs. As individuals and citizens we should take it upon ourselves to attempt to research the basics of what assistance we're seeking and make professionals explain their decisions. That way we can better articulate our issues and also better understand their advice.
ReplyDeleteMitchell Potts
I believe that America is a mix of both viewpoints. I think we are too reluctant to argue or speak back to those viewed as "higher educated," but I also think that we are too reliant on news and information we see on social platforms. I believe that it is our duty to educate ourselves to the point that we understand when educated people talk to us and we also understand when what we are reading on Facebook about vaccines, for a random example, is a complete lie with no real evidence. We should find it necessary to know as much about as much as we can.
ReplyDeleteI think that our society is trusting professionals less and less. From the "Flat Earth Society" to the anti-vax movement, people in modern America are beginning to buy in to incorrect beliefs because they would rather believe something that fits into their belief agenda rather than a truth that is painful for them to hear.
ReplyDeletePeople now would rather put those that they love in danger by believing a thirty minute Google search rather than two hundred years of dedicated scientific research. This is simply due to the rave of false news and the spreading of incorrect information to the general public.
To fix this, we need a non-profit organization to monitor and oversee news and social media claims and to limit and address these issues by and for the people, not the government.
On the other hand, I think that we need initiatives in place to help those who do not feel comfortable or who are not empowered question and verify the claims of professionals. Even though someone has much education and experience, they can still be wrong and can still have deceptive intentions (in some cases). Also, in the medical field, while one might know everything there is to know about a given subject, no one can experience and give accurate description of a case as the one who the medical case is pertaining to.
I definitely trust doctors and professionals to do their jobs to the best of their ability, but sometimes humans make mistakes, and some mistakes are bigger than others. I hate to sound insensitive or offensive, but as a doctor, fatal mistakes are a part of the job. However, I definitely think that as a consumer (patient) in this case, I would ask questions and try to understand my physical ailments, which brings us to the problem at hand. Growing up in a relatively poor community, I know how it feels to be overwhelmed when talking to someone from the "upper crust" of society. It feels intangible and wrong to even imagine being in their position. Yet, we have been programmed since birth to get a good job that pays well, and in rural communities, a doctor is the most lucrative career that is offered. This is why Betty put her trust in her doctor. Not because she was stupid or too respectful, but because she was scared.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. They are humans who make mistakes and can give wrong diagnosis. Individuals should make more effort to ask questions about conditions and connect t's and dot i's. Also i do not blame grandma betty because she was had very little education and they had no access to the internet(considering their time) neither did she know any knowledgeable family members or friends. It is very necessary to be able to challenge those of authority in the society. It will help to find out new discoveries and buttress previous facts.
DeleteChioma Ukwu
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