And Skepticism Surrounding The Great Science!
Well, firstly my love for this science is not limited to earning livelihood and it is “larger than life” for me. Secondly, blogging is a kind of catharsis to me where I can share what I feel with the larger community outside and feel good about it. But this is not all. Many will agree with me that knowing and learning about new things, new sciences, and new ways of life is fascinating.
In Marathi we have a saying that says, “Nindakache ghar asave shejari” (It means- critic’s or skeptic’s house should be besides your house). What does that mean? It means that when you have a critic or skeptic besides you talking negatively about you, you have all the reason to ignore him and do what pleases you. It also indicates that the reasons and goals that are close to your heart should be studied in greater depths to shut the mouths of skeptics. Anyway, we are benefited. After all, work speaks far louder than words!
I completely agree with Dana Ullman’s (a great proponent and instructor of homeopathy) views expressed in his blog. He says- “advocating for or using homeopathic medicines does not preclude appreciation for or use of selective conventional medical treatment. Advocates of homeopathy simply honor the Hippocratic tradition of “First, do no harm” and therefore seek to explore and utilize safer methods before resorting to more risky treatments. This perspective has historical and international roots, and it is thus no surprise that American health care which has been so resistant to homeopathic and natural therapies in its mainstream institutions is presently ranked 37th in the world in the performance of its health care system.(1) In comparison, the number one ranked country in the world is France, a country in which around 40 percent of the population uses homeopathic medicines and around 30 percent of its family physicians prescribe them (2).”
One simple fact is that unless homeopathic medicines worked, it would never have such a huge fan following. One thing here I want to ascertain that skeptics would help homeopathy grow. Rather, they are doing it by spreading the word about it. When people read about negativism, they are certainly not fools to agree to any and all comments that are passed about anything. Such derogatory comments make them think more and delve deep into the matter that is being talked about, and I must say that is the reason behind growth of homeopathy.
Any human being with the gift of “thinking capability” has conscience. This conscience is a great thing that can move mountains. It is defined as ability to differentiate between good and bad. Let’s hope that at least where it comes to “health” of the world as whole, skeptics will pay attention to what is right and what is wrong and seek shelter of wisdom, knowledge, and open mindedness. Skepticism is like stress. If it is taken in right perspective, it helps discover newer avenues to existing sciences. But if it exceeds its limit, it leads to closed minds that are not open to learning new things and imbibing right values.
“Health Industry” as a whole should work on the basis of selfless “give and take” relationship. It should harbor interests of people those are sick and want to fight back. Well, to some, this may seem pretty difficult in this world of materialism but everything has its time and I am very optimistic that one day, we all will walk hand-in-hand for the betterment of humanity! Amen!