Art Quote by John William Polidori
““To the extreme of this feeling I was ever a victim. The heavy responsibility, often suddenly and unexpectedly imposed—the struggle for success, when success was all but hopeless—the intense anxiety for the arrival of those critical periods which change the character of a malady, and divest it of some of its dangers, or invest it with new ones—the despondence when that period has come only to confirm all the worst symptoms, and shut out every prospect of recovery—and, last of all, that most trying, of all the trying duties of my profession, the breaking to the perhaps unconscious relatives, that my art had failed, my resources were exhausted, in a word, that there was no longer a hope. These things have preyed on me for weeks, for months long, and many””
About This Quote
The passage describes a physician's chronic anxiety over unpredictable disease trajectories, the weight of responsibility, and the despair when treatment fails despite exhaustive effort.
In simple terms: Doctor's anxiety over unpredictable disease outcomes.
Key Takeaway
Uncertainty fuels professional despair.
Themes
mortality
professional burden
uncertainty
hope vs. despair
ethical duty
Mood
somber
introspective
heavy
Type
personal narrative
medical reflection
When to use this quote
- case conferences
- support groups for clinicians
- medical ethics courses
- stress‑management workshops
Key Concepts
clinical decision‑making
emotional resilience
patient communication
Practical Applications
- psychological counseling for clinicians
- protocols for end‑of‑life discussions
Questions to Reflect On
- What support structures can alleviate clinicians' chronic anxiety?
- How can uncertainty be ethically communicated to patients?
