Do you want to know the truth?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
August 21, 2021 6:32am CST
My psychology teacher once asked us a question and she asked us to discuss it. The question was: "Imagine that a certain illness runs in your family. People who have this illness always die early. If you get tested you will find out if you will develop it or not. The illness can't be prevented or cured, so an early diagnosis wouldn't help you. Would you choose to get tested?"
Most of my classmates said no. They said things like: "It would just make me depressed and ruin the rest of my life. I don't want to know" A few people said yes and they said things like: "I want to know because it would help me plan my life. If I know that I am never going to retire I am not going to save up for retirement. I am going to travel and spend my money while I still can"
I am not sure how I would feel about it, but I can imagine how incredibly anxiety provoking it would be to get tested and wait for the result.
What do you think? Would you choose to get tested?
7 people like this
7 responses
@LadyDuck (471272)
• Switzerland
21 Aug 21
I think it could cause too much anxiety to know and it could ruin our life. What if the test is inaccurate? You spend all your money, you do not save for your old years and it is not true that you are going to die! I would not want to know.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
That is a good point. If the test isn't accurate people might make the wrong decisions and end up in a bad situation later because they already spent their money. They might also spend a lot of time worrying about something that isn't going to happen, and that would cause a lot of suffering.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
@LadyDuck A few days ago one of my friends told me a similar story about one of his friends. His friend had been told that he had a few months left. That happened several years ago and he is still doing relatively well. One of the doctors I know once told me: "I always refuse to answer if people ask me how much time they have left. I am able to guess based on the things I know, but I could be wrong"
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471272)
• Switzerland
21 Aug 21
@Porcospino I have heard from more than one person who was told that he had a disease and only a few months to live and after 15 years they were still here and not suffering and not too bad. Doctors not always guess it right.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
21 Aug 21
I'd prefer not to get tested but I will live each day as if it was my last.
However, I'd treat myself, my loved ones, my family and everyone else as if I'd live forever.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
I like your response. I think that it is a good way to look at it.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
22 Aug 21
@Porcospino 
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
Thanks. Glad you liked it.1 person likes this
@sulynsi (2671)
• Canada
21 Aug 21
I don't think it makes sense to live one's life based on what a medical test says might happen.
Probabilities and statistics are just that - they are not cast in stone - they are only guesses based on available information. They don't take every possible issue into account.
They have also been known to be wrong.
That being said, if the test indicates a higher possibility of illness, it makes sense to do what you can to mitigate risk and potentially beat the odds. But then, we should do that anyway, whether we know or not.
We are advised to eat healthy food, get sufficient exercise etc -
Financial prudence would suggest sensible spending - neither be a miser nor a spendthrift.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
Yes, in most cases there are a lot of different factors, and even if a medical test shows higher possibility of illness the person might not develop that illness. There are a few exceptions like the genetic defect that always causes Huntington's disease if the person lives long enough, but in most cases it is not that simple. Things like healthy food and exercise are always important even for those of us who don't have an increased risk of developing a certain illness.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
23 Aug 21
Yes, sometimes they are wrong, and if we plan our future according to the test result it could lead to the wrong decisions (like spending all of our money instead of saving up for retirement)
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
23 Aug 21
That is true. None of us know that. I don't think I would take the test either.
1 person likes this
@Butterfingers (66583)
• India
21 Aug 21
I guess this is a two-sided sword and I can choose to get a tested but after that may feel undue depressed or go for no testing and believe that I will die soon and spend all the money and what if I don't die 
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
Both options are bad. It wouldn't be nice to spend all your money and find out that you aren't going to die early
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Aug 21
I think I would be too afraid to get the result.
1 person likes this
