Different Strokes for Different Folks ...

     “For each different type of person, Hinduism prescribes a different path (yoga). Here I will simply refer to four of the principal ones: 
          (1) Jnana yoga tries to achieve holiness through knowledge, by which is meant not factual information but understanding or vision. 
          (2) For bhakti yogis, feelings are more real than thoughts, so they approach the divine through love and devotion. 
          (3) In karma yoga, salvation comes through work, but work done not for gain but for its own (or God’s) sake. And finally there is 
          (4) royal or raja yoga, comprising meditation and inward exploration. 

     Can the four yogas ever meet, be fully combined? Probably not in the same person. Imagine Socrates and Saint Francis and Gandhi and Siddhartha Gautama meeting at some ethereal pub: they might agree on some common goal, but to reach it they would head off in different directions."

     Even members of the same family can have “such fundamentally different perspectives, the words sail past each other. The intimate conversation between husband and wife or brother and sister can be as mutually incomprehensible as different foreign languages. We need the different and complementary perspectives of the various yogas – and, ideally, of all religions – not only to reach God but to reach each other.”

       Smith H, Paine J. “Tales of Wonder - Adventures Chasing the Divine. An autobiography.” HarperOne, NY, 2009.

Metacognition - a Grand Evolutionary Achievement

     "Human beings possess the striking reflexive capacity to hold mental states about mental states, that is, to engage in thinking about thinking. This has been heralded as a grand evolutionary achievement of our species and its kin, and its social & psychological significance may scarcely be exaggerated. Daily life is replete with complex determinations about the reliability of our own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs as well as attributions about the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of others around us. For centuries, philosophers have speculated about the dependability of self-knowledge and about the problems inherent in drawing inferences about the contents of other minds. Contemporary psychologists, too, have devoted considerable theoretical and research attention to the topic of metacognition, which recently cracked the 'top 100 topics' of psychological research.

     Although a good number of edited volumes on the subject now exist, there is no consensually agreed on definition of metacognition. ... the term 'has been variously referred to as "cognitive monitoring", "executive processes", "self-communication", and "knowledge about knowledge"'. Typically, metacognitive researchers investigate mental processes whereby individuals 'control' and 'monitor' their own mental activity." 

 

     Jost JT, Kruglanski AW, Nelson TO. Social metacognition: an expansionist review. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 1998; 2(2): 137-54. 

 

Dalhousie University, February 13, 2014

 

How I Feel Affects My Decisions & Patient Care

     "Historically, the prevailing view in medicine is that clinical decisions should be objective and free from contextual affective issues: one could not be objective and rational if emotion entered the reasoning process. Indeed, many of us would consider it a professional virtue to be able to rise above the emotional pull of clinical situations, to deliver cool, clear, analytical judgments. However, despite what we might believe, our feelings (affect) intrude into almost every decision that we make. Our daily interactions with others are influenced by conscious or unconscious social transference phenomena which are affectively polarised in ways that range from subtle to substantial. Similarly, specific clinical situations provoke lesser or greater degrees of affective valence. In fact, our first response to anything is an affective one that governs the future direction of our relations — we tend to trust our first impressions and stick with them. To then understand the role that affective state has in clinical decision making seems important. 

     The best evidence might be degraded when it is unconsciously passed through an affective filter."
       Croskerry P, Abbass AA, Wu AW. How doctors feel: affective issues in patients' safety. Lancet 2008; 372(9645): 1205-6. 


     "Within mindfulness, the busy physician may find a practical place to begin. Through the cultivation of mindfulness, the busy physician can find clues to the self and to the other, as well as to the aspects of inter-being that not only set the intention of the medical encounter but also provide boundless information and the basis for right action."
       Physician, Know Thyself, Michael Krasner, Shambhala Sun, September 2007.

 

snellius   www.dpreview.com

Professionalism - Basis & Effectiveness

      The American Dental Education Association's Task Force identified and developed the following six values-based components of professionalism in dental education: competence, fairness, integrity, responsibility, respect and service-mindedness. (Journal of Dental Education 2012; 76(7): 932-7)

     On the 7/8/12 "60-Minutes" program: "Jack Abramoff: Inside Capitol Corruption" convicted lobbyist Abramoff indicated that rules and regulations remain incredibly easy to get around. EXTERNALLY-imposed guidelines by themselves are meaningless.
     And from Wall Street: "When misconduct is common and accepted by financial services professionals, the integrity of our entire financial system is at risk." Jordan Thomas
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/many-wall-st-execs-says-050334304.html

     If an individual's top priority is to quickly acquire wealth, then s/he will find the means to achieve this objective. If, on the other hand, the top priority is honesty and decency, s/he will adhere to that, even if it means living with a relatively modest income (by professional standards). It's exceedingly unlikely that one can be a decent honest health-care professional AND live the "lifestyle of the rich and famous".
     It's critical to be honest with ourselves, make our decisions CONSCIOUSLY, then TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for ensuing consequences! When the results of our choices make us feel lousy, we learn to choose more wisely. Most of us learn by making mistakes - it's how we mature psychosocially and spiritually.

     Individuals, professions, and societies evolve to the extent that we look within, care deeply about what makes life meaningful for each of us individually and collectively, then actively work towards becoming progressively more congruent with these INTERNAL values. The guiding compass of our lives is an inner one first and foremost. Morality is in the marrow. We FEEL it and KNOW it when we're heading in the right vs wrong direction.

Château des Charmes winery, Niagara region, Ontario