Truth and Myth

The following letter regards an editorial by Steven J. Dell, MD, “Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs,” which appeared in our May 2015 edition.

Dr. Dell's editorial is exceptional. Its essence is the power of myth. In his 1962 commencement address at Yale University, President John F. Kennedy stated, “For the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”1 People like Dr. Oz (or even Oprah Winfrey) prey on myth. People are gullible. In 1991, Joseph Campbell wrote an extraordinary book by the title of The Power of Myth.

My mentor in London used to say, “There are three solutions for every problem or any problem. First is education, second is education, and the third is education.” Are we able to educate our trusting and ignorant public? n

V. K. Raju, MD, FRCS

Morgantown, West Virginia

1. Kennedy JF. Commencement address at Yale University. The American Presidency Project website. June 11, 1962. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29661. Accessed July 30, 2015.