Newsletter
To Know or Not to Know?2024-05-28
“Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory”
—Miguel de Cervantes
When is knowledge of bad things that are happening or are going to happen to you a good thing, and when is it a bad thing? There are four scenarios, based on the impact of that knowledge on your life satisfaction (happiness, hope, meaning), and life success (health, wealth, influence). This is viewed here through the narrow prism of healthcare, but can be applied more broadly to the socio-economic and philosophical realms.
First, if the knowledge decreases your life satisfaction without improving your life success in the long-term, it is viewed as a bad thing. For example, a diagnosis of an unsuspected terminal illness, like Huntington’s Disease or late-stage cancer. Even there, you have some time to set your life in order. And medicine is advancing fast.
Second, if the knowledge decrease your life satisfaction in the short-term, but increases your life success in the long-term, it is viewed as a good thing. For example, catching cancer at an early stage, or a identifying and correcting a potential mental health challenge early. This is where the most impact can be made in current healthcare.
Third, if the knowledge increases your life satisfaction but decreases your life success, then it is an addiction. For example, joining a cultish, fad diet and lifestyle to solve your health problems.
Fourth, if the knowledge increases your life satisfaction and increases your life success, then it is definitely a good thing. For example, preventative care testing confirming that you are on the right track with the lifestyle habits and medications that you are on, with minor adjustments and optimizations. This is the second most impactful scenario, geared towards the healthcare of the future.