First, do no harm...

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Although commonly thought to be part of the Hippocratic Oath is actually not a precise part of it ~ although it is implied. The closest approximation for the source of the sentence is the Hippocratic Corpus. Yet one thing is clear, part of the ethics that people in the medical field have been learning for the last 2000 years or so is to first, do no harm.
To just do those things that are good, or beneficial to the patient.

This little tidbit came to mind when I discovered that one of my favorite series on TV has disappeared from the TV-guide and in its place a double whammy of “House” is now being shown. The main character in that series is Dr. House, a genius when it comes to getting to a diagnosis ~ but that ‘first, do no harm’ idea doesn’t seem to be anchored in his mode of operation all that solidly.

Perhaps that is just a ‘sign of the times’. Something that is changing in this point of time...
And not just in the series on TV, but also in real life.

Because somehow that little statement seems to hold a lot of common sense.
When you are going to town with friends ~ first, do no harm. Don’t damage other people’s property.
When in school ~ first, do no harm. Don’t bully other kids.
When communicating ~ first, do no harm. Don’t gossip. Don’t spread the word on anything you know is not true, or anything you not sure if it is true. Don’t judge.

First, do no harm.

Wouldn’t life look so much better if that was the creed we all lived by?
It would imply that things like stealing, cheating, etc. would not occur anymore. And neither would vandalism. Graffiti might still exist, yet only in dedicated areas ~ it would become an art form rather than vandalism. I would think that communication would gain in clarity and be a lot more productive. Probably a lot more positive as well.
And politics... It would be quite interesting how that would look when politicians adopted the creed.

From whichever side you look at it; whether it is part of the Hippocratic Oath or just something that is somewhat sideways implied ~ the ancient Greek physician had it right: first, do no harm.
And now, well over 2000 years later ~ it is still sound advice, not only in medicine, Hippocrates’ field of expertise; but in life in general.

It’s a good creed to start the New Year with! First, do no harm.
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