Uncertainty makes everyone anxious, although each of us has a unique threshold for uncertainty tolerance. In other words, different folks may react quite differently if they are confronted with the same set of facts. Consider this hypothetical. Two patients who are of similar age and enjoy excellent health undergo a CAT scan for a stomach ache. By the time they follow-up with their physicians to review the results, their symptoms have resolved and they feel perfectly well. A small spot is seen in the liver which the radiologist suspects is an innocent cyst, but he cannot state this definitively. Each of the patient’s physicians explain that minor accidental findings like this are common and are very unlikely to pose any health threat. Patient #1: “Ok, doc. I feel great and if you’re not worried, neither am I.” Patient #2: “Are you sure it couldn’t be serious, like a cancer? Should I have it cut out just to be safe?” First of all, let me give readers an inside ti
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