HON 101
Blog Post #10
For many people, the words knowledge and wisdom are often
regarded as being synonymous, when in truth, they have two entirely different
meanings. Growing up, I often associated knowledge as something that is gained
through education whereas for wisdom, I believed it required patience and countless
experiences. However, knowledge is
merely the ability to acquire information or have a complete understanding of
for instance, a specific topic or event. Wisdom is based on our experiences and
the skill to make good judgments and choices. The connection between the two is
that wisdom is reinforced through knowledge.
Throughout the book, Being
Mortal, Atul Gawande illustrated the idea that medicine was the immediate
answer for every patient. His vast knowledge allowed him to inform his patients
of the different treatments they can undergo to better their health. However,
he lacked the wisdom on how to approach patients on the topic of death and the
possibilities that it could happen. As the book progresses, he encountered
multiple terminally ill patients and his understanding of death and the ending
stages of life started to deepen. He also talked heavily about his own
father’s experience with cancer and the effect it had on his family. After the
first surgery, his father decided to not undergo any more treatments and
eventually ended up in hospice care. A meeting with a hospice nurse gave him
the opportunity to clearly understand what his father’s wishes and goals were before
his death. Due to this event, I believe his outlook on death started to change
and accept that his father’s death was inevitable.
To end, Gawande was
able to learn that the overall care for a patient is not only limited to
medications and treatments. It takes the right wisdom that is gained through
experiences to solidify good judgment for the betterment of a patient.
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