Solution First, Then Problem
There are easy solutions––and there are difficult ones. Merely because one has chosen a difficult solution to a problem does not work to confer an advantage. The result’s the same. So, what are some methods to help find an easier way? Leverage. Using a fulcrum, a small weight can leverage a far greater weight. Ask: […]
In Defense of the Human Hand
Hands, those perfectly designed, balanced, flexible, coordinated, five-fingered extensions of the human arm, capable of grasping, lifting, cupping, holding, climbing, in use always, in some ways more expressive than words, a uniquely human body part, reflective of one’s innermost personality and persona. Hands can be used to heal, to soothe, to caress, to comfort, to […]
Contemplating the Obvious
We’ve all experienced instances where an obvious sign has been missed. Notwithstanding our most careful scrutiny, something obvious gets neglected or ignored. It’s present, it’s visible, but we cannot recognize it. Psychologists have a name for this––inattentional blindness. “Inattentional blindness, also known as perceptual blindness, is a psychological lack of attention that is not associated with […]
An Abiding Presence
Depression as a serious medical condition – and not as an easily managed and self-chosen state of mind – has in recent years finally gotten the attention it deserves. There’s a large and growing body of medical literature on depression, its causes and effects, and there’s some promising new approaches on the horizon, including transcranial […]
A Phenomenology of Injury
Under Illinois law, disability is characterized as a “loss of a normal life.” The Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction, 30.04.02, defines this element of damage as follows: “When I use the expression “loss of a normal life”, I mean the temporary or permanent diminished ability to enjoy life. This includes a person’s inability to pursue the […]
The Return
It’s a truism that today’s medicine directs its attention primarily to the physical aspects of healing. Examples would include such conventional treatments as drugs and therapy, diagnostic tests and surgery, as well as emerging technologies such as the controlled manipulation of cell-specific MicroRNAs. These treatments are all based on the seemingly common-sense notion that because […]
First Principles: Free Speech
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”—so reads the First Amendment of the Constitution. Free speech is […]
Motive’s Irrelevance
It may seem surprising to some that a negligence case brought to recover damages turns entirely on conduct. For some, this may feel a bit incomplete. Genuine culpability, it would seem, would require at least some degree of ill motive or improper design. If the person’s intentions are entirely benevolent but their conduct inadvertently causes […]
