The Runaway 'Need for Approval' in Doctors: The Psychological Structure of Doctors Who Have Gone Dark
Right but Lonely: Is That Emotion the Beginning?
I'll say this upfront: this isn't a story about bashing any specific person.
...No, it would be a lie to say I have zero desire to bash them.
But I'll hold that back, andI want you to read this as a story that could happen to any of us tomorrow.
Even in recent elections, the number of doctors openly repeating unscientific claims has increased.
I don't know if they were always there, or if the rise of social media just makes misinformation more visible.
But regardless, those doctors are fanning public anxiety while receiving thunderous applause for saying what people want to hear.
Man, influencers are scary... but we can't just laugh this off.
Why did they end up like that? I think looking closely at thatstructureis a necessary defensive line for all of us in the medical profession.
Thinking about the process of a doctor 'going dark'
Calling it 'going dark' sounds like something out of a manga, but it's actually an extension of daily life.
For example:
'I thought I explained it properly to the patient, but they complained.'
'For some reason, the instructions I gave to the staff were received coldly.'
'I wrote my opinion on social media and it almost caused a firestorm.'
The accumulation of thesesmall discrepanciesnurtures the feeling of'Why won't they understand me?'.
And that gradually changes into a structure where 'I am right' and 'everyone around me is wrong'.
It becomes easier to beat people with 'logical' arguments.
As a result, they begin to perceive dissent and feedback as attacks, andseeking a 'world that doesn't deny them,' they connect only with people who share the same opinions.
Here, the psychological trap begins—
Decoding the 'Going Dark Structure' through Psychology
1. Confirmation Bias
They collect only the information they want to believe and ignore inconvenient facts. On social media, 'convenient information' is easily applauded, which further reinforces the person's beliefs.
2. Echo Chamber Effect
By connecting only with people who share the same values, opinions become more extreme and are reinforced in a biased direction.
3. Group Conformity Bias
The psychology of 'not wanting to be left out' suppresses dissent and questions, making it impossible to stop a group's runaway behavior due to peer pressure.
4. Cognitive Dissonance
When faced with a reality that contradicts one's beliefs, one tries to protect the idea that they are right, either by denying the reality or by twisting it.
5. The Narrative Trap
People find comfort in 'easy-to-understand stories.' The narrative of 'I am a righteous doctor standing up against the darkness' becomes solidified, and objectivity is lost.
In this way, as a result of continuing to ignore the small sense of discomfort within oneself,
thinking becomes rigid, and eventually, a 'cult leader with the face of a doctor' is born.
The Runaway of Justice Born from a Lack of Sociality
I believe that 'sociality' is the ability to see things from another person's perspective.
Even though you are saying the right things, people drift away.
When asked on social media, 'Is that really okay?', you might snap back, 'Are you trying to attack me!', entering a defensive mode.
This is not just a lack of explanation or skill, but sometimes the result of 'sociality not being developed.'
If you use only righteousness as a weapon, it eventually becomes a tool to strike someone.
The Destination of a Distorted Need for Approval
I feel that many people who become doctors have a strong need for approval from the start.
That is why, in the beginning, it must have been like this.
I want to be told 'thank you'
I want to be thought of as 'amazing'
I want to be told 'I want to be examined by this person'
However, if you stay in a place where you are not evaluated for a long time, the desire to 'prove your own worth' begins to inflate.
Rather than desperately advocating for providing correct medical care, pleasant-sounding lies go viral. Before long, incorrect information becomes the truth, and the applause of followers becomes justice.
As a result, 'empathy' is prioritized over 'facts,' and the correctness of medicine becomes nothing more than a decoration.
What is true intelligence?
In the past, many intellectuals were deeply involved in the Aum Shinrikyo cult that carried out the Tokyo subway sarin attack—this is a story often cited.
Being smart and not making the wrong choices in life are two completely different things.
Doctors have lived their lives by accumulating knowledge. But if the 'mental perspective' that supports how that knowledge is used is narrow, knowledge becomes nothing more than a weapon.
Isn't true intelligence the ability to doubt oneself, to think, 'My opinion might not be absolute'?
'It could happen to me' — What doctors need is 'flexibility'
For those of you who thought, 'I'm fine,' wait a second.
Are you using slightly extreme language on social media just to get likes?
Are you brushing off what patients say in the clinic with a dismissive 'uh-huh'?
Are you quick to judge by saying, 'That's not in the guidelines'?
…You know, anyone can fall into this trap.
Before being a doctor, I want to maintain a 'margin for flexibility' as a human being.
Concrete steps you can take starting today to prevent 'darkening'
▶︎ Mingle with people from other industries
By talking to people outside of medicine, your own common sense gets shattered. That is, unexpectedly, a pleasant experience.
▶︎ The courage to say 'I don't know'
Saying 'I don't know' is not a shame. Letting go of the feeling of omnipotence makes your heart lighter.
▶︎ Make time to listen in silence
Are you listening to your patients and staff until the very end? Let's break the habit of interrupting before they get to the point.
▶︎ Reading the 'Room' Over 'Correctness'
Even if it is 100% evidence-based, if it is out of sync with the clinical setting, it is just an imposition. Before correctness, try gauging the temperature of the room.
Conclusion: For the Future of Society and Medicine
Whether you are a private practitioner, a hospital doctor, a high-achiever, or feeling a bit worn out.
If you feel that 'I have lived honestly, yet something is wrong,' that is proof of your healthy sensitivity.
However, before you decide that 'the world is wrong,' try doubting your own correctness just a little bit.
Perhaps a willingness to waver is what becomes the immune system of society.