Dias has looked at the ‘ten types of human’ in his quest to understand the human mind. He believes it must have evolved in the same way the human body evolved and adapted, and in this first part he deals with what he calls the perceiver of pain. The thread that runs through this is the story of Anthony, a child sold to the slave trade in Africa, although he also looks at various areas of research into brain function and our ability to detect emotion. He asks, ‘Why do we try to save the drowning child and how do we choose between a group of children and one of our own? Do we perceive children in other countries differently? Do we have a protective mechanism against too much pain we can’t control?’ He senses that we all perceive the pain of others but, as the numbers become greater, our system is unable to cope, so switches off, hence ‘burnout’. He finds compassion reduces this.
My take home from this is that we perceive and empathise with the suffering of others, but feel the pain ourselves. However, if we return this with compassionate kindness, this eases our own pain. As doctors, if we give compassionate care, we are better able to cope. Tickbox medicine is not a good thing for either patients or doctors.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2017