Death of Prescription:

As we move towards an era riddled with prescriptions flowing at us from every direction, I realize the futility of how we dispense information to others in a manner that  seems to only serve the dispenser. If change was the real goal then a prescription would not be needed. Instead, allowing the intended target of the change to come to their own conclusions and analysis would be at the top of the priority list for the “influencer”. Just like a Doctor gives a failed prescription of “smoking is bad for you” to the x pack per day patient who listens and wants to hear it and feel good for the moment, we fail our audiences and loved ones when we prescribe them a solution to their problem. I would dare to say that doctors have at least understood the futility of this time of prescription for behavioral change that they have stopped giving them in lieu of the pharmaceutical ones that one could argue are just as futile.

This begs the question, if prescriptions are the default in how human beings are suggested change, for the better one would assume, then what is the alternative? Unfortunately, answering that question is a prescription in itself. What I can say is one would need to create an impetus for change from within; an intrinsic motivation to alter ones behavior in order to facilitate an effective change. Not only would those elements need to be present but also one would need to change their internal identity as well. Let us take the example of the lazy genius. The genius has been conditioned (foolishly) by society with idioms such as “think smarter not harder” to justify his current state. He identifies as a lazy person and even if he gets the spark of motivation to double or triple his output he will surely return to the default set pattern of his internal state or identity. Just like the smoker has to transform his identity to a non smoker the lazy genius has to transform his identity from lazy to industrious in addition to be internally motivated towards change.

Dr. Shaikh M.D