From: Patch Adams
Genre: Movies
Who said it?: Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams
The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the 1998 comedy-drama Patch Adams. The film is loosely based on the real Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams. He is portrayed in the film by the late Robin Williams.
The quote comes late in the film. Patch Adams is called into a hearing for practicing medicine out of his home without a license; at this point, Patch had not graduated yet. The school threatens to expel him for this. Patch Adams rebukes the idea that a doctor should be treated with extreme reverence and that doctors are too focused on trying to cure the sickness and ignoring the human element. He then delivers the quote.
Geek wisdom: We, not just doctors, have to learn to be more compassionate with others. It has become so easy to be unfeeling and detached with other people but this is the reason why there is so much suffering out there. Try to build and rebuild your connections with others so that we can understand them, not just ignore them. Because that’s what we would want others to do for us.
My Geek Wisdom 