Tuesday 7 May 2019

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a doctor

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war.

When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.

From "Sun Tzu on the Art of War - The Oldest Military Treatise in the World"
Translated from the Chinese By Lionel Giles, M.A. (1910)

Discussion:

Simple substitutions of several words. Leaving the word slain may be too harsh.


Translation:

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a doctor:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his staff, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

These are the five besetting sins of a doctor, ruinous to the conduct of medicine.

When a hospital is sued and its doctor slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.

Ray Murakami

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