Dear Patient,
Health is not a moral virtue.
I like to remind people of this, because our society tends to equate health with worth and goodness. People who appear to be “healthy”—meaning they are youthful, energetic, thin, with clear skin and glossy hair—are seen as more valuable. More respectable. More praiseworthy. Someone to emulate.
But health is not a moral virtue.
People who are seen as “unhealthy” tend to get blamed for their own predicament—they should drink less soda and do more yoga. They shouldn’t smoke or take so many pain pills. They should have more willpower. They should value their health more.
Individual choices matter of course, but illness and disease aren’t solely the result of individual choices. Many of the ways our society defines “healthy” have nothing to do with moral character, and everything to do with genetics and environment.
So again, health is not a moral virtue.
You do not have to prioritize your health at all times or center your health in all your life choices. Eating french fries instead of salad does not make you a bad person.
Remember…health is not a moral virtue.
Your life is valuable and precious, and you don’t owe the rest of us an explanation—regardless of how sick you are, or how healthy you are, or how much you weigh, or what you ate for dinner last night. You have a right to be here, and to exist in whatever state of wellness or un-wellness you are in at this moment.
Because health is not a moral virtue.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
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