Revenge of the French Fries

Carl Remick carlremick at hotmail.com
Fri Oct 13 07:38:32 PDT 2000



>From: Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu>
>
>I wonder how many people die, commit suicide, ruin their lives, lose
>their health in one way or another because intelligent persons with
>no medical training have passed on bits and pieces of "research" into
>phyisical or mental health to them?

This points to something that is basically a problem of the Enlightenment and to which there is no solution, IMHO -- namely, that good science is bad psychology. Scientific truths are characteristically provisional -- subject to endless revision and correction. As a result, people in modern societies spend all their time in a high state of anxiety, constantly adjusting their diets in a hopeless effort to reconcile contradictory findings about antioxidants, fiber, cholesterol -- you name it. Traditional, religion-based societies typically have a poorer material quality of life, but at least they can offer their people the psychological comfort of "certainties" regarding God's love, salvation, etc.

I personally try to ignore as much scientifically validated health advice as possible while at the same time giving religious adherents a wide berth -- my version of the Golden Mean.

Carl _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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