While reading “The Trouble With Medicine’s Metaphors” by Dhruv Khullar, I was able to see the perspective of a doctor and why they use metaphors when talking to patients. Personally, I can’t recall a doctor ever using a metaphor when talking to me, as a patient. Anyway, these are a few quotes that really sparked conversation.

Quote: “Might she have suffered less at the end if she hadn’t felt compelled to try one more drug, determined to soldier on?”

(DISAGREE) I have never understood as to why doctors, or anyone, always refer to cancer as a battle. When I think of a battle, all I see is blood, pain and loss. If you’re dealing with a traumatic disease, should you need to hear references connected to trauma? I disagree with the use of military terms connected to diseases. The only words that should be connected are those that imply strength and courage, in an attempt to encourage the patient that they are not alone.

Quote: “…physicians use metaphors in almost two-thirds of their conversations with patients who have serious illnesses”

(DEVELOP) In a way to develop this quote, I think that metaphors create a connection and understanding in difficult situation since the doctor, most likely, has never dealt with the issues on their own person. Having doctors use metaphors in their conversations with patients will enable another, possibly safer connection to their patients and even helps give them hope that they have support on their side as they go through their treatments.

Quote: “…suggestions of moral impurity stimulate a desire to cleanse oneself physically in an attempt to was away one’s sins”

(COMPLICATE) In all honesty, this just reminds me of some weird type of confessional. I’m an atheist so I don’t know much, or anything, about a confessional, but what I’ve heard is that it lets you almost have a fresh start. I don’t believe that anyone could really wash away their sins because it doesn’t change the fact that you still committed whatever sin. I just think that the idea of having a fresh start after doing something bad just complicates the values and meaning of life. You should’ve just been a good person from the start.

Quotes from Erard and and Geary will support the general use and benefits to using metaphors. Geary stated that “Metaphorical thinking is essential to how we understand ourselves and others, how we communicate, learn, discover, and invent”. What I believe Geary is saying here is that metaphors help to create connections between two people, as thought of by Khullar as well. Erard also said a similar statement, ” These metaphors are meant to help people understand the unfamiliar”. In other words, it seems as though Erard can tell that when someone uses a metaphor when speaking of a difficult subject that not everyone may know, that metaphor can help create understanding of what he is trying to say by relating it to what someone already knows.