---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've often been flabbergasted by modern…"
description: "\"I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads on television. The list of side effects for some maladies often sound worse than the conditi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg"
---

#  I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads…

![“I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads on television. The list of side effects for some maladies often sound worse than the condition they're supposed to treat. Once I even heard &quot;heart failure&quot; listed as a side effect, and I wondered how that happened. Heart failure sounds…” quote by Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg)

> “I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads on television. The list of side effects for some maladies often sound worse than the condition they're supposed to treat. Once I even heard "heart failure" listed as a side effect, and I wondered how that happened. Heart failure sounds like a pretty major event to me, and if you're willing to risk heart failure in order to avoid the mild discomfort of some other condition, then may the gods shield you from harm, since you're obviously seeking it out.”

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Drug ads often exaggerate risks, making treatment seem more dangerous than the illness.

**In simple terms:** Ads list severe side effects, deterring people from needed medicines.

Key Takeaway

Scrutinize medical claims critically.

Themes

health media consumer awareness

Mood

cautious inquisitive

Type

health consumer

When to use this quote

- doctor consultations
- personal health decisions
- media literacy workshops

Key Concepts

Risk perception advertising ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you trust pharmaceutical advertising?
- How do you verify drug safety?

A Different Perspective

Not all side‑effects are equally likely; some warnings are legally required.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ads/) [Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) [Discomfort Condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort-condition-491725/) [Effects Maladies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects-maladies-491722/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-failure/) [Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lists/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Pharmaceutical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pharmaceutical/) [Pharmaceutical Ads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pharmaceutical-ads-491724/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-heart-491723/) [Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shields/) [Side effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-effects/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/)

## Related quotes

> [The Administration's policy on women is often hard to see because it is written in the font size of pharmaceutical ads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-clinton/the-administration-s-policy-on-women-is-often-hard-to-see-because-it/)

[Kate Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-clinton/)

> [Risk is at the heart of jazz. Every note we play is a risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/risk-is-at-the-heart-of-jazz-every-note-we-play-is-a-risk/)

[Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/)

> [Falling in love, romance, matters of the heart - when you fall in love, on some biochemical level you know there is a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/falling-in-love-romance-matters-of-the-heart-when-you-fall-in-love-on/)

[Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/)

> [It hurts when we risk our heart and it ends up being broken, but what hurts more is when we still hold on when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-when-we-risk-our-heart-and-it-ends-up-being-broken-but-what/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I would rather risk my heart to the possibility of pain, than to never feel love again. To live without love is merely existing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/i-would-rather-risk-my-heart-to-the-possibility-of-pain-than-to-never/)

[Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/)

> [Well you know, it's true that as a fat person I run a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinkwater/well-you-know-it-s-true-that-as-a-fat-person-i-run-a-greater-risk-of/)

[Daniel Pinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinkwater/)

> [ Scientists are telling us that 350 parts per million \[of carbon\] in the atmosphere is the upper limit. We're at 387 parts per million… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/scientists-are-telling-us-that-350-parts-per-million-of-carbon-in-the/)

[Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/)

> [The Go Red for Women campaign raises awareness of the risk of heart disease. I think a lot of people don't realize that heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-hines/the-go-red-for-women-campaign-raises-awareness-of-the-risk-of-heart/)

[Cheryl Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-hines/)

> [We live in the edge of life were we risk with a heart to fit in everywhere but only to realise that they dont…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tpk/we-live-in-the-edge-of-life-were-we-risk-with-a-heart-to-fit-in/)

[TPK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tpk/)

> [I have to admit I was dismayed when I found out 'type A' refers to a category of risk for heart disease - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-have-to-admit-i-was-dismayed-when-i-found-out-type-a-refers-to-a/)

[Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/)

> [You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/you-have-to-love-you-have-to-feel-it-is-the-reason-you-are-here-on/)

[Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/)

> [Without enough nitric oxide, your arteries can stiffen, raising blood pressure and your risk of heart attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/without-enough-nitric-oxide-your-arteries-can-stiffen-raising-blood/)

[Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/)

> [“Louise Hawkley, of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, calculates that loneliness raises blood pressure to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-johnson/louise-hawkley-of-the-center-for-cognitive-and-social-neuroscience-at/)

[Sue Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-johnson/)

> [Is there something in my genetic makeup that makes me more at risk for heart disease? I believe there is. My father was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/is-there-something-in-my-genetic-makeup-that-makes-me-more-at-risk/)

[Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/)

> [“Larry Scherwitz found that people who more frequently said I, me, or mine had a higher risk of having a heart attack and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/larry-scherwitz-found-that-people-who-more-frequently-said-i-me-or/)

[Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/)

## More by Kevin Hearne

> [Whoa. He had ghouls on speed dial. My lawyer kicks so much ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/whoa-he-had-ghouls-on-speed-dial-my-lawyer-kicks-so-much-ass/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“I bet it’s a universal truth: You eat your pie or go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-bet-it-s-a-universal-truth-you-eat-your-pie-or-go-home/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“Like many silly codes of bravery and manliness, the meat of my father’s instruction on how to die well can be distilled to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/like-many-silly-codes-of-bravery-and-manliness-the-meat-of-my-father/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [Wow you need to get some sun.” “Shut up. I'm Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/wow-you-need-to-get-some-sun-shut-up-i-m-irish/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“Hence the reason I encourage you to believe what you wish. The heaven of teh Pastafarians is supposed to have beer volcanoes, which sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/hence-the-reason-i-encourage-you-to-believe-what-you-wish-the-heaven/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [Awesome! I'd just bullied Jesus into doing a shot with me. Nobody would ever believe it, but I didn't care. We ordered the insanely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/awesome-i-d-just-bullied-jesus-into-doing-a-shot-with-me-nobody-would/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“I thought for the longest time that chicken-fried steak was steak that had been fried by specially trained chickens,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-thought-for-the-longest-time-that-chicken-fried-steak-was-steak/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [When he said to give him the sword, I don’t think he meant for you to stick it in his guts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/when-he-said-to-give-him-the-sword-i-don-t-think-he-meant-for-you-to/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“Oh sweet kraken tits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/oh-sweet-kraken-tits/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“No. See, when you throw up you're vomiting, but when you throw down you're starting a fight, as in throwing down the gauntlet." "Ohhhh,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/no-see-when-you-throw-up-you-re-vomiting-but-when-you-throw-down-you/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“The grin on his face wasn’t the affable, friendly sort; instead, it was the sociopathic rictus of the irretrievably, bug-fuckeringly insane”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/the-grin-on-his-face-wasn-t-the-affable-friendly-sort-instead-it-was/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“What sealed the deal for me was that the cloak wouldn't come off without a generous donation of my tears. Those used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/what-sealed-the-deal-for-me-was-that-the-cloak-wouldn-t-come-off/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [On a Creep Scale from Hello Kitty to Cthulhu, I award it a Freddy Krueger. Granuaile MacTiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/on-a-creep-scale-from-hello-kitty-to-cthulhu-i-award-it-a-freddy/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“So this means you're spoiling me right?" Can't Help it. You're the best hound ever. Oberon's tail thumped a few times and his mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/so-this-means-you-re-spoiling-me-right-can-t-help-it-you-re-the-best/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [“Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune!" I cried with all the venom of Charlton Heston. Oberon asked. "It's a Shakespearean word for whore." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/out-out-thou-strumpet-fortune-i-cried-with-all-the-venom-of-charlton/)

[kevin hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

[Explore all 311 Kevin Hearne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

## More Ads quotes

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

> [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/)

[Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/)

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/)

[Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/)

> [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/)

[Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/)

[Browse all 856 Ads quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ads/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads on television. The list of side effects for some maladies often sound worse than the condition they're supposed to treat. Once I even heard \"heart failure\" listed as a side effect, and I wondered how that happened. Heart failure sounds like a pretty major event to me, and if you're willing to risk heart failure in order to avoid the mild discomfort of some other condition, then may the gods shield you from harm, since you're obviously seeking it out.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kevin Hearne"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern-pharmaceutical-ads-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern-pharmaceutical-ads-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/kevin-hearne-991_ads_i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern_2441566.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've often been flabbergasted by modern pharmaceutical ads on television. The list of side effects for some…” — Kevin Hearne",
                "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": "Kevin Hearne",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've often been flabbergasted by modern...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern-pharmaceutical-ads-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-ve-often-been-flabbergasted-by-modern-pharmaceutical-ads-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
