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31 Jul 2007 01:00 pm

In Sickness and In Health

Since I'm trying to write my marriage vows, the phrase is on my mind. Virginia Postrel sums up my own view of the matter which is that the traditional notion that "disease" has a bright line demarcating it from stuff about your body you just don't like or enjoy is, well, unconvincing. Or rather, it is as convincing as the distinction between smoking pot for health or for pleasure. The line between the two is a very blurry one. Why isn't a bad day as worth medicating as an upset stomach? Virginia:

Why not treat a biological condition you just don't like? (I'm assuming that you are directly or indirectly paying for the treatment.) We don't have to call Restless Leg Syndrome a disease to acknowledge that it disturbs some people's sleep and that those people would like relief. Contrary to what you may have heard, the only sort of character suffering builds is the ability to suffer--a useful ability in a world where suffering is the routine nature of life but not a virtue that makes the world a better place.

And suffering because you have an ugly face and want plastic surgery applies. Of course, this assumes you are paying for this yourself. Insurance needs some such line. I'm not talking about having your plastic surgery covered. I'm talking about not needing to be apologetic about it when you pay for it yourself.

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