Emotion Quote by Danielle Ofri
![“Fear is a primal emotion in medicine. Every doctor can tell you of times when she or he was terrified; most can list more episodes than you might wish to hear. [...] It may be sublimated at times, it may wax and wane, but the fear of harming your patients never departs; it is inextricably linked…” quote by Danielle Ofri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/541/danielle-ofri-26196_empathy_fear-is-a-primal-emotion-in-medicine-eve_1331595.jpg)
““Fear is a primal emotion in medicine. Every doctor can tell you of times when she or he was terrified; most can list more episodes than you might wish to hear. [...] It may be sublimated at times, it may wax and wane, but the fear of harming your patients never departs; it is inextricably linked to the practice of medicine.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “What It Means to Be a Patient” by Danielle Ofri, 2015
Fear is an inherent part of medical practice, linked to the responsibility of caring for patients.
In simple terms: Doctors naturally feel fear about harming patients.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and manage fear responsibly.
Themes
fear
medical ethics
professionalism
Mood
thoughtful
cautionary
Type
ethical
clinical
When to use this quote
- clinical decision‑making
- patient communication
- medical education
- stress management
Key Concepts
risk perception
emotional regulation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance fear with confidence?
- What strategies reduce harmful fear in medicine?
A Different Perspective
Excessive fear can impair judgment and performance.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
![“Thus, whatever the medical student has been taught, and even genuinely believes, about the ideals of medicine, the primacy of empathy, the value of the doctor-patient relationship--all of this is swamped once he or she steps into the wards. [...] It's no wonder that empathy gets trounced in the…” quote by Danielle Ofri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/549/danielle-ofri-26196_empathy_thus-whatever-the-medical-student-has-be_1851607.jpg)
![“Music [is] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To burn with all the emotions you didn't get to experience in the ordinary run of school, TV, and loading the dishwasher after dinner.” quote by Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/44b/joe-hill-1162_dinner_music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grab_5424.jpg)