Khullar, Geary, and Erard

September 13, 2019

• STEP 3: Finally, choose 2 more quotes–one from Geary and one from Erard. Choose quotes that strike you as relevant to the conversation. After identifying the source use 1-2 sentences to explain why you chose each quote. (est. time: 45 minutes)

“Another ‘fighter’-my aunt, who passed away from lymphoma nearly a decade earlier. I’ve long wondered whether that word-fighter- and the other military language used to help her conceptualize her disease did more harm than good.”

Dhruv Khullar

Develops-Even in my own life, I’ve noticed that doctors use lots of metaphors to basically explain medical terms in a way that’s easier to grasp if you’re unfamiliar with that language. But with a disease that you know will take your life away, is it worth it to say you’re fighting when you know that the fight will end with a negative outcome? Personally, I don’t think it’s right to say that you’re fighting something, like cancer, becuase if you say you’re fighting, you don’t really acknowledge and accept that the fight will end in perish.

“Physicians use metaphors in almost two-thirds of their conversations with patients who have serious illnesses. Physicians who used more metaphors were seen as better communicators.”

Dhruv Khullar

Supports-Like I said earlier, doctors use metaphors to explain medical terms in more human-like way, for us to understand the actual impact of the disease or injury. As I’ve learned through the past few days, the use of metaphors is what makes us human and what connects us to one another. So it’s not a surprise that doctors who use metaphors are seen as better communicators, becuase in a way, they are.

“Changes in medication regimes become setbacks or retreats, transitions to palliative care mark the end of the struggle, the battle lost… even the most courageous soldier guided by the most effective strategy is too often unsuccessful against an aggressive invader with nothing to lose.”

Dhruv Khullar

Supports-In my own life, I’ve witnessed this path so many times before. Both of my grandfathers, one of my great-grandmothers, a family friend that I’ve known since I was born, and even just the stories from friends. Chronic illnesses and fatal diseases, when compared to a fight, follow the quote above.

“ Whenever we deal with anything abstract— ideas, emotions, feelings, concepts, thoughts— we inevitable resort to metaphor.”

James Geary

The above quote fits in perfectly with the conversation about doctors and their use of military metaphors becuase it describes how the patient and doctor feel. The idea of having a disease that will ultimately end your life, probably in a year or so, is so out there and takes so much emotion to understand, that the easiest way is to use a metaphor. As Geary said, we use metaphors to deal with anything abstract and the idea of dying at a young age, or even at an older age, in a painful way is abstract.

“ Metaphors close the gap in people’s ability to grasp something, or speed up what they’re already on track to see.”

Michael Erard

If metaphors close the gap in a person’s ability to grasp something, then using a metaphor to describe the way that cancer works is the way for someone to truly understand what’s happening to them and what will be the end. As awful as it as a disease, the worst part would be to not know and understand what’s going on. By using metaphors, the patient is able to know that cancer is a hard thing to deal with.

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