--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is an old complaint about the practice…" description: "\"“It is an old complaint about the practice of medicine that it inures you to the idea of death. But when medicine inures you to the idea of life, to su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/siddartha-mukherjee-89656_death_it-is-an-old-complaint-about-the-practic_1594675.jpg" --- # It is an old complaint about the practice of medicine that… ![“It is an old complaint about the practice of medicine that it inures you to the idea of death. But when medicine inures you to the idea of life, to survival, then it has failed utterly.” quote by Siddartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/siddartha-mukherjee-89656_death_it-is-an-old-complaint-about-the-practic_1594675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/siddartha-mukherjee-89656_death_it-is-an-old-complaint-about-the-practic_1594675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/siddartha-mukherjee-89656_death_it-is-an-old-complaint-about-the-practic_1594675.jpg) > ““It is an old complaint about the practice of medicine that it inures you to the idea of death. But when medicine inures you to the idea of life, to survival, then it has failed utterly.”” [Siddartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddartha-mukherjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Medicine that fixes death but not life (survival) fails completely. **In simple terms:** Medicine must support life, not just prevent death. Key Takeaway Prioritize holistic health outcomes. Themes medicine life death survival ethics Mood thoughtful critical ethical Type Death:1 Doctor:0 Life:1 Medicine:1 Idea Death:0 Death Medicine:0 Medicine Inures:0 Survival Failed:1 When to use this quote - clinical practice - policy - public health - research - education Key Concepts bioethics healthcare philosophy patient care Questions to Reflect On - How can medicine balance life extension and quality? - What metrics assess true health success? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on mortality may ignore quality of life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-medicine-6051292/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Idea Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-death-592798/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Medicine Inures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine-inures-6051293/) [Survival Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-failed-6051294/) ## Related quotes > [He who has a mistaken idea of life, will always have a mistaken idea of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-who-has-a-mistaken-idea-of-life-will-always-have-a-mistaken-idea/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhas-chandra-bose/one-individual-may-die-for-an-idea-but-that-idea-will-after-his-death/) [Subhas Chandra Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhas-chandra-bose/) > [But one wants the idea of Death, you know, as something large and unknowable, something that allows a person to stretch himself out. Especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/but-one-wants-the-idea-of-death-you-know-as-something-large-and/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [Though the physicality of death destroys us, the idea of death may save us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/though-the-physicality-of-death-destroys-us-the-idea-of-death-may/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I really don't want the highlight of my life to be my success as an investor. Genuinely. My idea of death would be that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-really-don-t-want-the-highlight-of-my-life-to-be-my-success-as-an/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [Death destroys a man, but the idea of death saves him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/death-destroys-a-man-but-the-idea-of-death-saves-him/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [The whole idea of death is something that we tend to kind of really not deal with at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/the-whole-idea-of-death-is-something-that-we-tend-to-kind-of-really/) [Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/) > [“Death destroys a man: the idea of Death saves him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/death-destroys-a-man-the-idea-of-death-saves-him/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [All games contain the idea of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/all-games-contain-the-idea-of-death/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [I've had various people close to me die, and I don't necessarily find the idea of death purely depressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/i-ve-had-various-people-close-to-me-die-and-i-don-t-necessarily-find/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [They couldn't bear the idea of death being a big black nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/they-couldn-t-bear-the-idea-of-death-being-a-big-black-nothing/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The idea of death robs inquiry of its passionate vitality and empties our efforts of their purpose by coming to one predestined conclusion, death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/the-idea-of-death-robs-inquiry-of-its-passionate-vitality-and-empties/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) > [We ought to observe that practice which is the hardest of all-especially for young physicians-we ought to throw in no medicine at all-to abstain-to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-randolph-of-roanoke/we-ought-to-observe-that-practice-which-is-the-hardest-of-all/) [John Randolph of Roanoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-randolph-of-roanoke/) > [Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/every-patient-carries-her-or-his-own-doctor-inside/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) ## More by Siddartha Mukherjee > [“This image—of cancer as our desperate, malevolent, contemporary doppelgänger—is so haunting because it is at least partly true. A cancer cell is an astonishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddartha-mukherjee/this-image-of-cancer-as-our-desperate-malevolent-contemporary-doppelg/) [Siddartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddartha-mukherjee/) [Explore all 2 Siddartha Mukherjee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddartha-mukherjee/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is an old complaint about the practice of medicine that it inures you to the idea of death. 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