Dirk Cambier’s recent post regarding the tone of the discussion on this
list raises issues vitally important to our future as a clinical science,
and I should probably begin by saying that, in general, I disagree with it.
While I would agree that physical therapy “should be…a science,” I’m
wondering how it can attain and maintain such a standing if its
practitioners do not behave as scientists typically do.
A quote from the highly acclaimed book “Captured By Aliens” by Joel
Achenbach (Simon and Schuster 1999) is appropriate here: “In science, if
you don’t try hard enough to prove yourself wrong, your friends will
gleefully pick up the slack. Proving the work of others false is virtually
a sacred rite.” And “A scientist considers it a sacred obligation to try to
invalidate the spurious claims of others. Scientists are trigger-happy
invalidators. Some would be happy to explain to a five-year-old kid that
Santa is merely an invention of parents who use the fat elf as a proxy
disciplinarian.”
Achenbach is not describing any sort of personal attack, but he is
certainly describing the nature of scientific discourse and the advancement
of ideas. It always includes disagreement, and this seems to be something
our community tries to avoid at all cost. If the Pilates people are
unwilling to defend their claims by refuting Dr. Siff, we can only assume
that they agree with him. As Thomas More says in "A Man for All Seasons"
"Qin tace con secere," meaning "silence gives consent."
What I see quite often in PT is a great discomfort whenever disagreement
appears, no matter how rational and concise the argument. Therapists tend
to reflexly mistake common scientific discussion (as described by
Achenbach) for personal attack, no matter how completely impersonal it
actually is. Surely this kind of fear cannot help us advance our ideas, and
the suggestion in an earlier post that the Pilates practitioners had been
"scared away" speaks directly to this kind of misinterpretation.
When more than a very, very small percentage of us on these lists actually
begin to post our opinions, that's when I'll believe that fear of
scientific debate and not personal attack is the real issue here.
Barrett L. Dorko, P.T.
http://barrettdorko.com>
Also at <http://rehabedge.com>
And <http://prorehabonline.com>
And <http://physicaltherapist.com>
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