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Modern medicine is a negation of health. It isn't organised to serve human health, but only itself, as an institution. It makes more people sick than it heals.
Ivan Illich
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote critiques modern medicine for prioritizing its own institutional interests over actual patient health.

Ivan Illich's quote highlights a critical view of modern medicine, suggesting that it has become an institution that prioritizes its own operational needs rather than genuinely promoting the health of individuals. He argues that the system, as it stands, may cause more harm than good, reflecting a need to reevaluate the principles and practices of healthcare to ensure they truly benefit patients.

Themes

HealthMedical SystemIllnessCritiqueMedicine

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a health seminar to encourage discussion about the shortcomings of modern healthcare.

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Effective health care depends on self-care; this fact is currently heralded as if it were a discovery.
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