Agony Quote by Lionel Shriver
“We'd been assured it wouldn't be painful, though she might experience 'discomfort,' a term beloved of the medical profession that seems to be a synonym for agony that isn't yours.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Anonymous, by Lionel Shriver, 2015
Medical professionals often downplay pain, labeling it as mere discomfort, which can mask true suffering.
In simple terms: Pain is often disguised as discomfort.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about medical language.
Themes
health
pain
communication
Mood
skeptical
concerned
Type
critical
reflective
When to use this quote
- hospital visits
- chronic illness
- patient consent
Key Concepts
medical ethics
patient autonomy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape your perception of pain?
- Do you trust medical euphemisms?
A Different Perspective
Comfort may be used to minimize patient awareness.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
