The art is long, life is short
HippocratesRead
Life is short, and the Art long; the occasion fleeting; experience fallacious, and judgment difficult. The physician must not only be prepared to do what is right himself, but also to make the patient, the attendants, and externals cooperate.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is brief and complex, requiring cooperation and sound judgment in both practice and in care.
This quote by Hippocrates emphasizes the brevity of life contrasted with the long and intricate nature of art and practice. It suggests that not only must a physician have the ability to make sound decisions, but they must also foster collaboration among everyone involved in a patient's care, highlighting the importance of teamwork and communication in achieving the best outcomes.
Themes
LifeWisdomArtJudgmentHealthPhysicianCooperation
In practice
Example use cases
In a medical conference, I would use this quote to discuss the importance of holistic patient care.
More from Hippocrates
All quotes →The body of man has in itself blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile; these make up the nature of this body, and through these he feels pain or enjoys health. Now he enjoys the most perfect health when these elements are duly proportioned to one another in respect of compounding, power and bulk, and when they are perfectly mingled.
HippocratesRead
That which is used - develops. That which is not used wastes away.
HippocratesRead
Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always.
HippocratesRead
Wine is an appropriate article for mankind, both for the healthy body and for the ailing man.
HippocratesRead
Walking is man's best medicine.
HippocratesRead
Similar quotes
God tells me to cover myself, to hide my beauty and to tell the world that I’m not here to please men with my body; I’m here to please God. God elevates the dignity of a woman’s body by commanding that it be respected and covered, shown only to the deserving - only to the man I marry.
Yasmin MogahedRead
Sometimes early in my career I thought what I did was who I was. As you mature, I've learned that is not the case. This is what I do, this is not who I am.
Ernie Johnson Jr.Read
To the confusion of our enemies.
J. Robert OppenheimerRead
But they who give straight judgements to strangers and to those of the land and do not transgress what is just, for them the city flourishes and its people prosper.
HesiodRead
Very conscious of the fact that an effort was being made to destroy my mind, because I was deprived of books, deprived of any means of writing, deprived of human companionship. You never know how much you need it until you're deprived of it.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Youth eats all the sugared fancy cakes and regards them as its daily bread. But there'll come a time when you'll start asking just for a crust.
Ivan TurgenevRead