Dhruv Khullar’s “The Trouble with Medicine’s Metaphors” is a detailed text about the hardships and pain that is affiliated with illnesses as well as the metaphors used by doctors to better communicate with their patients . The article opens with Dhruv discussing a personal situation involving family members of his and their run-ins with cancer in both the past and present. He goes into depth to elaborate on the reasoning that metaphors being more frequently leads to better communication between patients and doctors. The term “military metaphors” is mentioned and is described as a method of using metaphors, one that is heavily used in the medical field, and how it should be retired.

I enjoyed Dhruv Khullar’s “The Trouble with Medicine’s Metaphors” as I thought it elaborated off of a topic no one would have ever thought of before.  The usage of metaphors in the medical field and the benefits or downsides of using them has completely changed my mind on metaphors. Just the fact that the more instances metaphors are used between doctors and patients establishes a better line of communication is mind blowing to me.  I do also believe that military metaphors need to be retired from the medical field. Treating a disease like a foreign invader that started a war does not sound calming from the view of being a patient or the family member of one.

“Metaphorical thinking is essential to how we understand ourselves and others, how we communicate, learn, discover and invent.” -James Geary. This quote stands out to me because it opens up to the bare responsibilities of metaphors. 

“But the thing that lets us make sense of ‘paintbrush as pump’ – or ‘lawyer as shark’ – is that ‘pump’ is the name of a category for liquid-moving mechanisms, just as ‘shark’ is the name of the category for predatory individuals” -Michael Erard. This quote will forever standout to me because it single handedly explained to me metaphors and broadened my knowledge and ability to use them.

“Patients reported less trouble understanding them, and felt as though their doctor made sure they understood their conditions.” -Dhruv Khullar. This quote stands out to me because it shows the statistical real life benefits that metaphors have.