Back Quote by Michael Palmer
“You're taught from the day you start medical school that you're a god, that you can have power over life and death. So when your life starts to crumble, and the highest power you see is looking back in the mirror - and you know that power is flawed - it is very hard to get past that.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Dark Side of Healing, 2019
Medical training can create a god complex, making personal crises harder to overcome when authority feels flawed.
In simple terms: Medical power can become a burden.
Key Takeaway
Stay humble and seek support.
Themes
power
vulnerability
ethics
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- doctor’s life
- caregiver burnout
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
god complex
personal crisis
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance authority with humility?
- What safeguards can prevent power abuse?
A Different Perspective
Overconfidence can blind one to help needed.
![“The highest reach of science is, one may say, an inventive power, a faculty of divination, akin to the highest power exercised in poetry; therefore, a nation whose spirit is characterised by energy may well be eminent in science; and we have Newton. Shakspeare [sic] and Newton: in the intellectual…” quote by Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d9/matthew-arnold-1235_authority_the-highest-reach-of-science-is-one-may_435278.jpg)
