What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That's what their substance is.
Jonathan MillerRead
I wasn't driven into medicine by a social conscience but by rampant curiosity.
Interpretation
Curiosity, rather than altruism, motivated the pursuit of medicine.
In this quote, Jonathan Miller emphasizes that his choice to enter the field of medicine was primarily driven by his desire to understand and explore the complexities of the human body and healing processes, rather than a sense of duty to help others. This highlights the importance of curiosity as a fundamental aspect of pursuing knowledge and a career in science, reinforcing that personal interests can lead to significant contributions in healthcare.
In practice
During a medical conference, a speaker mentioned Miller's quote to emphasize the importance of curiosity in medical innovation.
What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That's what their substance is.
You spend ten years of your life being trained to do one thing, and you're being taught to think that it's the most serious thing that anyone could possibly do, and then suddenly you find yourself doing something that in some respects is the epitome of frivolity.
What does it mean to be an oncologist? It means that you get to sit in at a moment of another person's life that is so hyper-acute, and not just because they're medically ill. It's also a moment of hope and expectation and concern.
At times, in medicine, you feel you are inside a colossal and impossibly complex machine whose gears will turn for you only according to their own arbitrary rhythm. The notion that human caring, the effort to do better for people, might make a difference can seem hopelessly naive. But it isn't.
By including children with different learning abilities in mainstream and specialized schools, we can change attitudes and promote respect. By creating suitable jobs for adults with autism, we integrate them into society.
My laboratory uses evolution to design new enzymes. No one really knows how to design them - they are tremendously complicated. But we are learning how to use evolution to make new ones, just as nature does.
Walking is man's best medicine.
It is possible in medicine, even when you intend to do good, to do harm instead. That is why science thrives on actively encouraging criticism rather than stifling it.
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