Against the grain

There was a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival that I found surprisingly close to home in the health care world.  It was titled “Against the Grain” and was summarized as follows: Voices of individual courage and conviction examine strategies of steadfast truth telling in the face of social pressure and mass opinion.The panelists comprised a Who’s Who of writers who have taken a stand and engaged in acts of conscience in their work.Swapan Dasgupta, an Indian conservative columnist, says he is labeled as “contrary because I betray my class, “ a group that has “a self-image of being progressive” but are actually condescending towards those with other views.“I have lost a lot of friends” by taking positions, he notes. He bemoans this result.  “I don’t think political positions should be viewed as so polarizing as to preclude normal social relationships.”  He proclaimed, “Can’t we let this closed mind attitude disappear?”Salima Hashmi’s father was jailed in Pakistan for his political views decades ago. This episode and the isolation from her previous friends and neighbors provided lessons for her:  “You learn about value, friendships, and loyalty in these situations.”These memories, along with her own work, prompted her to elaborate on the themes mentioned by Dasgupta.  “People accept self-censorship.  They accept dictatorial behavior.”  Such attitudes become socialized as the norm.And then, Gideon ...
Source: Running a hospital - Category: Health Managers Source Type: blogs