--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I found myself thinking of Potts as a…" description: "\"“I found myself thinking of Potts as a tragic figure, a guy who'd been a happy towheaded kid you'd love to take fishing with you, who'd mistakenly inve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/samuel-shem-28474_family_i-found-myself-thinking-of-potts-as-a-tr_1361726.png" --- # I found myself thinking of Potts as a tragic figure, a guy… ![“I found myself thinking of Potts as a tragic figure, a guy who'd been a happy towheaded kid you'd love to take fishing with you, who'd mistakenly invested in academic medicine when he'd have been happy in his family business, and who'd become a splattered mess on the parking lot of a hospital in a…” quote by Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/samuel-shem-28474_family_i-found-myself-thinking-of-potts-as-a-tr_1361726.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/samuel-shem-28474_family_i-found-myself-thinking-of-potts-as-a-tr_1361726.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/samuel-shem-28474_family_i-found-myself-thinking-of-potts-as-a-tr_1361726.png) > ““I found myself thinking of Potts as a tragic figure, a guy who'd been a happy towheaded kid you'd love to take fishing with you, who'd mistakenly invested in academic medicine when he'd have been happy in his family business, and who'd become a splattered mess on the parking lot of a hospital in a city he'd despised. What had been the seductiveness of medicine? Why?”” [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on a colleague’s tragic path, questioning why the allure of medicine led to personal ruin **In simple terms:** A doctor’s career can become a destructive obsession Key Takeaway Examine personal motivations before committing to demanding professions Themes medicine career choice psychology tragedy Mood melancholy reflective critical Type narrative cautionary reflective When to use this quote - medical school counseling - career mentorship programs - mental health support for physicians - ethical training - personal reflection workshops Key Concepts burnout identity ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - What personal values conflict with the demands of medicine? - How can institutions better support physicians’ well‑being? A Different Perspective The quote may generalize individual experience, not accounting for varied reasons people pursue medicine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-business/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) ## Related quotes > [“When Mary Shelley took a local legend based on truth and crafted fiction from it, she'd made Victor a tragic figure and killed him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/when-mary-shelley-took-a-local-legend-based-on-truth-and-crafted/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I get painted quite a bit as a tragic figure because of some of the stuff that's happened in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-get-painted-quite-a-bit-as-a-tragic-figure-because-of-some-of-the/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Pope John XXIII was an amoeba of goodness in a sea of waste, mistakenly believing that the Holy See could or would really change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/pope-john-xxiii-was-an-amoeba-of-goodness-in-a-sea-of-waste/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I actually thought Pope Paul VI was the most tragic figure in the modern church, like Lyndon Johnson was a very tragic figure in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/i-actually-thought-pope-paul-vi-was-the-most-tragic-figure-in-the/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Humor prevents one from becoming a tragic figure even though he she is involved in tragic events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humor-prevents-one-from-becoming-a-tragic-figure-even-though-he-she/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think Sacajawea was caught in a series of tragic situations - her kidnapping as a child, her being passed from tribe to tribe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-lasky/i-think-sacajawea-was-caught-in-a-series-of-tragic-situations-her/) [Kathryn Lasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-lasky/) > [I don't think Hamlet is mad, nor is he predisposed to be a gloomy or tragic figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-branagh/i-don-t-think-hamlet-is-mad-nor-is-he-predisposed-to-be-a-gloomy-or/) [Kenneth Branagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-branagh/) > [Charlie Brown is almost a tragic figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-walker/charlie-brown-is-almost-a-tragic-figure/) Brian Walker > [If Trump was just a piddly-ass little hotel owner some place, having the kind of character and manners that he has, he would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/if-trump-was-just-a-piddly-ass-little-hotel-owner-some-place-having/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I reject the idea of myself as a tragic figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-bush/i-reject-the-idea-of-myself-as-a-tragic-figure/) [Neil Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-bush/) > [“He was like some tragic figure in Greek mythology whose offenses against the gods had caused them to design for him this exquisite torture:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/he-was-like-some-tragic-figure-in-greek-mythology-whose-offenses/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [“By common consent the eminent man of the time was Napoleon Bonaparte, the revolution queller, the burgher sovereign, the imperial democrat, the supreme captain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-milligan-sloane/by-common-consent-the-eminent-man-of-the-time-was-napoleon-bonaparte/) William Milligan Sloane > [Joe Jackson was a tragic figure. He was a serene country boy who signed a confession he couldn't read. He was illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/joe-jackson-was-a-tragic-figure-he-was-a-serene-country-boy-who/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [ I would argue \[princess\] Margaret is the tragic figure of the century. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kirby/i-would-argue-princess-margaret-is-the-tragic-figure-of-the-century/) [Vanessa Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kirby/) > [All my kids have worked in the family business. I've been successful at that. My family knows how to work. We all started working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/all-my-kids-have-worked-in-the-family-business-i-ve-been-successful/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) ## More by Samuel Shem > [“We were putting into these gomers our fear of death, but who knew if they feared death? Perhaps they welcomed death like a dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/we-were-putting-into-these-gomers-our-fear-of-death-but-who-knew-if/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“Paranoia's OK," said Berry, "it's just a more primitive defense. If you think someone's watching you, you think you're not alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/paranoia-s-ok-said-berry-it-s-just-a-more-primitive-defense-if-you/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [The delivery of medical care is to do as much nothing as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/the-delivery-of-medical-care-is-to-do-as-much-nothing-as-possible/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“Law XIII. THE DELIVERY OF MEDICAL CARE IS TO DO AS MUCH NOTHING AS POSSIBLE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/law-xiii-the-delivery-of-medical-care-is-to-do-as-much-nothing-as/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [Yes, last year in interviewing. Empathy is when you repeat the last three words the patient says and nod your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/yes-last-year-in-interviewing-empathy-is-when-you-repeat-the-last/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“Basch: So why don't you ask her out? The Runt: I'm scared she wouldn't like me and say no. -So what? What have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/basch-so-why-don-t-you-ask-her-out-the-runt-i-m-scared-she-wouldn-t/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“Gomers are human beings who have lost what goes into being human beings. They want to die, and we will not let them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/gomers-are-human-beings-who-have-lost-what-goes-into-being-human/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“Every intern makes mistakes. 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