Idolized and Abused
It seems such a literary trope that these things happen only in the pages of books – from Harry Potter’s under stairs upbringing to Perseus’s tossing into the ocean in a coffin as an infant. Particularly poignant in literature is the plight of the empath – none so tragically and beautifully portrayed as in The Green Mile by Stephen King. The movie adaption portrayed the giant of a man (played by the late Michael Clarke Duncan) sucking in other’s pain and taking it on himself. Sad, beautiful.
But then I thought – is it just a literature thing? Do we sometimes sing praises while destroying them? I immediately thought of the tabloid villain Ray Rice. He was an NFL player that knocked his fiancée out in an elevator. Before anyone gets ready to tar and feather me, hear this out. I am certain that Ray was the best and fastest on any playground. Certainly, he was an amazing talent in the world of football from high school on. What is it that coaches tell the worst players on the team? Sit there, get the water set up, hold the game balls. What do they tell the best players? Hit harder, be faster, work out, get stronger, meet violence with violence.
And the world was shocked to see that when he was met with violence he had nothing in the well to fall back on, so he answered violence with violence. The world may very well be appalled. Disgusted. But not shocked.
In a way, we all have fallen prey to this insidious thing. Yes, we see that the strongest kid in junior high is pulled aside, given extra gym hours, more weights, more reps – but not as punishment! It’s a privilege! But the medical folks in this blog – does it sound familiar when you were the smartest and given more work, resource time in elementary but on to AP and Dual credit courses and double majoring and work and work and work – and aren’t we so lucky!
Then the world gently, or not so gently, mocks you for not knowing a single cultural reference, song, or movie from your years 20-35?
And the world is shocked that doctors don’t know how to dance, or handle relationship conflicts, and they act out because they feel that they skipped their youth. The world may very well be appalled. Disgusted. But not shocked.
Well said, Dr. LeCroy.
I did, and how. I graduated from MIT at 21 with 2 BS degrees. It took me five years. I happened to be really smart, which turned into being very efficient at the factory floor of American public education, and came out unformed and invisible. It took longer to become who I am. In a world of jealous mediocrity, do not stand out.
Yeah, I tell young people to seriously consider whether they really want to give up their 20’s to be an MD. Even with all the negative attention given to the work ethic of whatever generation is now in their early 20’s, I was a little shocked to see that my med school received 7000 applications for 184 spaces.