Wisdom

Insight comes to those who are prepared to read, read, read, explore, question, debate and think deeply about the problems at hand. This is how experts emerge. However, not all experts are wise. It is only the experts who are prepared to adjust their worldview when new evidence emerges that deserve to be acknowledged as being wise. There are few ‘wise experts’, which is why we humans tend to make the same mistakes over and over again.

The field of multiple sclerosis is not exempt from the phenomenon of repeating the mistakes of the past. When it comes to MS I count on my two hands the number of wise experts I know in the field. They are frequently not invited to the table and if they are their sage advice is often ignored. This is a problem; I fear we are repeating the mistakes of the past.

The real tragedy is that it is the people with MS and their families, who we are proposing to help, who are suffering the consequences of our folly.