Intended for healthcare professionals

Choice

The gap between expectations and reality

BMJ 2000; 320 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7246.0 (Published 20 May 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;320:0

Much of life's pain stems from the gap between expectations and reality. “I wish I was taller, smarter, and richer than I am, and I'm miserable that I'm not. It's no use you telling me that I'm taller, smarter, and richer than most people. That's irrelevant and no comfort at all.” Both doctors and politicians suffer from the gap between expectations and reality. Politicians, indeed, may be destroyed by the gap: they are marvellous at raising expectations but as ineffective as the rest of us at improving reality. In the political life cycle, …

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