Things are not always what they seem to be

A group of doctors were conducting a free Ortho medical camp. Hundreds of people with various ortho problems came there to avail the services. There was a steady stream of patients coming in and going, all pretty satisfied as the doctors were very patient and kind to all of them. Towards the afternoon, the doctors were really tired and wanted to take a break, so sipping their tea, they started talking about what inspired them and what they would want to do in the future. Suddenly their eyes focused on a man who was limping very uniquely. One of the doctors said that they saw the man two hours ago too and was wondering why they still had not attended to him. Somehow, they found this case very unique and they started wondering what could be wrong with him.

One of the doctors said that the man there probably has Arthritis in his left knee. The second one said that the man probably has Plantar Fasciitis. The third one said he probably just sprained his ankle as there was a certain stiffness in his posture and it looks like he had the inability to put weight on the affected ankle. The fourth said, see that man cannot lift his knee, he looks to have Lower Motor Neurons. “But to me, he seems to have a Hemiplegia Scissors Gait”, said the fifth.

All of them were surprised at how each one had such a different diagnosis. So, they decided amongst themselves that the best way is to examine the patient because until then all that they had diagnosed was just their assumption based on the symptoms they saw so far from a distance. They sent an assistant to bring the man to them. When the man came the doctors said that they saw the man’s struggle to walk. They told him that they would want to examine him further and assist him.

The man said, “Thank you! I went up twice to that shop to fix my problem but unfortunately, they say the cobbler is not going to open his shop today. Is there a cobbler nearby who can repair my sandals?"

While this is an exaggerated story, situations like this in our day to day life are very common where we jump into conclusions, without a second thought.

1. Ask before you assume and assess: Assumption (about people and their situations) is the worst enemy of good relations. When in doubt, ask. Do not assume or assess based on the information you have, because for all you may know that information may not even be the truth.

2. Stop worrying beyond what is needed: We worry! We worry about problems in the past & we worry about problems in the future. The problem is we think too much and create problems that probably did not even exist in the first place. And by doing so we create problems for today.

3. Stop looking for complexity: In our thoughts, we always link complex problems with complex solutions, whereas sometimes, the most complex problem can just have a simple, stupid solution. So keep your mind open, and look within and outside for solutions without complicating them.