On “accentuating the positive” in our pursuit of health.
We are in the business of health. Core to this business is having conversations about how we can create better health by creating a healthier world. These conversations often involve talking about how the world is not yet healthy, about the diseases that keep populations sick and the injustices and inequities that drive this poor health. We have these conversations because we must, because we cannot solve problems without first naming them and studying them. My own writing is no exception. When I look back at my written output, I find much of it addresses how we can have less disease, with considerations of health sometimes taking a backseat to engaging with the challenges that can get in the way of health. This is perhaps as it should be. To this point, we have just published a note for our community about the threats to the values of inclusion, dignity for all, and health. This all reminds us that a hallmark of health is that we do not think so much about it when we are healthy. We want to be healthy so we can live; when we are healthy, we are often so busy living that we do not think much about the health that enables this. On the other hand, when we are sick, even a little bit, it can be hard to think of anything else.
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