--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Doctors are allowed to tell us things…" description: "\"“Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not do themselves. They know what the right thing is, but they may not be able to do it themsel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png" --- # Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not… ![“Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not do themselves. They know what the right thing is, but they may not be able to do it themselves. That does not mean that their advice is bad advice.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png) > ““Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not do themselves. They know what the right thing is, but they may not be able to do it themselves. That does not mean that their advice is bad advice.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Professionals may give guidance they cannot personally enact, yet their expertise remains valuable. **In simple terms:** Advice can be good even if the giver can't follow it. Key Takeaway Trust expert advice despite personal limitations. Themes ethics trust expertise Mood thoughtful cautious Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - medical consultations - legal counsel - financial planning - personal coaching Key Concepts professional responsibility cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate advice when the advisor cannot practice it? - When is it appropriate to seek a second opinion? A Different Perspective Advice may be limited by the advisor's own constraints or biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Advice Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice-bad-684867/) [Bad advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-advice/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Doctors Allowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors-allowed-4478850/) [Mean Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-advice-4170321/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) ## Related quotes > [Probably all of my advice is bad advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-braunohler/probably-all-of-my-advice-is-bad-advice/) [Kurt Braunohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-braunohler/) > [If you know the difference between good advice and bad advice,You don't need advice..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-know-the-difference-between-good-advice-and-bad-advice-you-don/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [. . . if you can tell the difference between good advice and bad advice, you don't need advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/if-you-can-tell-the-difference-between-good-advice-and-bad-advice-you/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Sometimes economists in official positions give bad advice; sometimes they give very, very bad advice; and sometimes they work at the OECD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/sometimes-economists-in-official-positions-give-bad-advice-sometimes/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“My advice is don’t take advice from anybody. This is good advice, and as such, it’s bad advice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-advice-is-don-t-take-advice-from-anybody-this-is-good-advice-and/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Listen, I’m going to give you some advice, not because I think you need it, but because I feel like I’ve earned it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/listen-i-m-going-to-give-you-some-advice-not-because-i-think-you-need/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“I think it should be done over, Buddy. …Please make peace with your wit. It's not going to go away, Buddy. To dump it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-think-it-should-be-done-over-buddy-please-make-peace-with-your-wit/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“But a philosopher named William James responded that sometimes Clifford's advice is bad strategy. He said doubt is the wrong alternative when three conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/but-a-philosopher-named-william-james-responded-that-sometimes/) [John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/) > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Head tilted, Lou looked at her curiously. “Are you… are you trying to appeal to my conscience?” He snorted. “That inner voice gave up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-wright/head-tilted-lou-looked-at-her-curiously-are-you-are-you-trying-to/) [Suzanne Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-wright/) > [“Even though we have all had experiences of feeling distant from God, the Dark Night of the Senses is a particular experience with identifiable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-thomas-ashbrook/even-though-we-have-all-had-experiences-of-feeling-distant-from-god/) [R. Thomas Ashbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-thomas-ashbrook/) > [It seems that bad advice that's fun will always be better known than than good advice that's dull-no matter how useless that fun advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/it-seems-that-bad-advice-that-s-fun-will-always-be-better-known-than/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [“Don't overreact. For example, if someone inadvertently embarrasses you in public, don't let anger get the best of you. It really isn't necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rubino-jr/don-t-overreact-for-example-if-someone-inadvertently-embarrasses-you/) [Anthony Rubino Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rubino-jr/) > [I wish I could tell you to always follow your heart, but I think it is bad advice. You have a heart, yes, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-wish-i-could-tell-you-to-always-follow-your-heart-but-i-think-it-is/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“Do you know what he told me after lying under a cliff for thirty six hours with two inches of his femur sticking out?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/do-you-know-what-he-told-me-after-lying-under-a-cliff-for-thirty-six/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not do themselves. They know what the right thing is, but they may not be able to do it themselves. That does not mean that their advice is bad advice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-which-they-might-not-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-which-they-might-not-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-wh_2144334.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Doctors are allowed to tell us things which they might not do themselves. They know what the right thing is…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Doctors are allowed to tell us...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-which-they-might-not-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/doctors-are-allowed-to-tell-us-things-which-they-might-not-do/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```