Category Archives: Uncategorized

  Simplistically, making good decisions is rejecting the bad while acting upon the good. In many cases, rejecting the bad is almost a more difficult and continuous task than acting upon the good. For example, the decision to maintain a healthy diet certainly entails eating healthy foods. However most people struggle more with not eatingContinue reading “Making decisions easy”

Making a case is a valuable skill and an important part of developing as a person as well as working as part of a team. Making a case is a great way to get a new perspective and decide what idea is best within the marketplace of ideas. Although certainly not perfect, a debate betweenContinue reading “Making cases to ourselves”

Computers have changed everything. We all know it. Most of the things that computers have changed have been changed for the better. Many of the fears that we had with the advent of computers have not come about (…yet). In the preface of one of the versions of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, theContinue reading “Information: Collecting and synthesizing”

You cannot always guarantee a positive result but you can certainly guarantee a negative outcome. As the saying goes, “nothing is certain but death and taxes” You can make certain outcomes- good health, responsible children, financial security, successful marriage- likely, but no one can guarantee any of these, even with vast amounts of effort. AsContinue reading “On outcomes”

We have a wealth (also known as a glut) of information around us and in the news. There will always be something terrible happening that we can read about. Horrible people do horrible things. Nature does horrible things. Horrible things randomly happen. In generally things are improving despite what the news cycle tells us. People’sContinue reading “The good and the bad”

Let’s talk for a moment about social media, in particular Twitter. Social media is not inherently bad, but it is probably not as innocuous as it appears on first pass. And, as we’ve seen in the past several years, a simple 140 characters is enough to end careers and uproot lives. The larger problem ofContinue reading “Towards being intentional”

It is surprising to me how often I hear this used as a compliment still. Although it is intended as a compliment, it is most assuredly a criticism not an aspiration. At most we should hone a handful of crafts, a handful of things, because the opportunity cost of trying to learn a little bitContinue reading “Jack of all trades, Master of none”

Often when I was first talking to and working with patients I felt bad for them. As a student there is always someone there who could do a better job than you whether that be the resident, fellow, or attending, and instead the patient is stuck with you. Sometimes your stethoscope (or hand) is coldContinue reading “A student and a patient”

  The percentage of the population that will complete a marathon during their lifetime has dramatically increased. At the same time the average marathon time has also dramatically increased. On the one hand this is great. More people are getting out of the house and participating in a group activity to increase fitness. In aContinue reading “External validators”

Often lack of purpose and direction is mistaken for lack of will and drive.  The two of these could not be more different. Will and drive are the means to get to a prespecified end. It is the blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to achieve a goal. Purpose and direction, on the otherContinue reading “Finding your hill”