Canadian Health Care: Even The Food Was Good

As a scientist, I know one sample is inadequate, but that usually applies to a single specific data set. Here I could not find fault with a wide range of services, actions and experiences. Indeed, everything was exemplary in every instance and aspect for a high-risk condition. So why do I feel obliged to report on my experience? Because I think it illustrates what happens in a society that constantly focuses on fault or failure.

Of course these exist and we should constantly work to reduce them, but the virtual reality world of the media creates a completely false perception. It is not just the old conflict of perceptions between the Pollyanna's and Cassandra's or optimists and pessimists. It is a pervasive, corrosive process, which gradually demoralizes people, causes inappropriate setting of priorities and poor decisions.

Medieval cathedral builders deliberately introduced an error into their constructions because only God could produce perfection. We don't need to create error because in every human activity or practice there is error. Our modern legal system is in jeopardy because it seeks perfection but you can always find fault, especially with the best lawyer. Find one error and the entire case is usually rejected.

The same is increasingly true of all aspects of our society. Find a fault and you can bring an entire system down or to its knees. Media driven to sell constantly seek sensationalism and find the ever-present faults. People involved in the system become increasingly protective and introverted, even though they may try hard to point out what is good and being achieved.

On a B.C. Ferry recently, I praised a worker for his efforts and how the entire ferry system had improved. I asked him what annoyed him.