Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

When intolerance is another form of hatred

Randall S. Fong, MD
Policy
June 21, 2020
95 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As an Asian male, I grew up with my share of racist encounters, some very ugly and downright scary.  Yet I refuse to blame an entire segment of the population for the misdeeds of a few.  I refuse to allow circumstances to shape me as a person or my attitudes, and instead, I try to live my life as virtuous as possible—taking care of patients as best I can, being just and fair to others, providing for and loving my family as best I can, no matter what unexpected and negative stuff God throws at me.

Do I always succeed?  No.  But we were created as flawed, error-prone individuals, and I try to learn from my mistakes to become a better person.  It is the struggle to improve in the face of negative conditions that molds and shapes one’s character for the better.   By exemplifying good actions and good deeds, I strive to convey the message that anything worthy is achievable, anything is possible.  Coming from parents who were not highly educated, I still became a doctor only after years of hard work and purposeful drive, not from privilege.  Living in America makes this possible.  We need to have an abundance mindset to see opportunity in the face of difficulty.  And I believe the manner in which we live is the best means to change a world view.

I was taught not to stereotype people.  However, I fear the talk of white privilege breeds intolerance against whites, exercising a stereotype in the reverse direction.  Intolerance is another form of hatred.  Yes, the system must change, but this is only part of the equation.  Waiting for others to change, seeing this only from the lens of “us against them” makes victims of us all.  And when we see ourselves as victims, we unwittingly place our fate in the hands of another.  We can control our own fate while helping to create a fair and just system by taking individual responsibility on the way we act and kindly treat one another.  But it must go both ways; it must be mutual.

“Always do the right thing.  This will gratify some people and astonish the others.”
– Mark Twain

Randall S. Fong is an otolaryngologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Randall S. Fong, as well as his blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Wisdom for child fellows and fellow children

June 21, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

The forgotten letter a social worker wrote on behalf of a psychiatrist

June 21, 2020 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Wisdom for child fellows and fellow children
Next Post >
The forgotten letter a social worker wrote on behalf of a psychiatrist

More by Randall S. Fong, MD

  • Bring the real You to your workplace

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • Stop and smell the cadavers

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • Hearing loss is a significant public health problem

    Randall S. Fong, MD

Related Posts

  • Can the Maternal CARE Act fail moms? 

    Sonal Patel, MD
  • Our patients matter, but at what cost to our families? 

    James A. Quinn, PA-C
  • Opening schools? The devil is in the details. 

    Raghav Gupta, MD
  • What ever happened to forgiveness?

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • Why is there a formula shortage? 

    Michelle Haggerty, DO, MPH, Jessica Madden, MD, Sonal Patel, MD, and Nithya Natrajan, MD
  • Why this physician teaches health policy in medical school

    Kenneth Lin, MD

More in Policy

  • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

    Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN
  • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

    Mohammed Umer Waris, MD
  • Breaking down the barriers to effective bar-code medication administration

    Amy Dang Craft
  • The locums industry has a beef problem

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD
  • Canada’s health workers are sounding the alarm. We must act, now.

    Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, PhD
  • Race categorizations are worsening health inequities for the South West Asian North African (SWANA) communities

    Guleer Shahab, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 6 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Senators Press Moderna's CEO to Drop COVID Vaccine Price
  • Senators Press HHS Chief on Alzheimer's Drugs, Opioids at Budget Hearing
  • Despite Abortion Restrictions, Ob/Gyn Remains Competitive Residency

Meeting Coverage

  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Second-Line Sacituzumab Govitecan Promising in Platinum-Ineligible UC
  • Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor Hits Its Endpoint in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

When intolerance is another form of hatred
6 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...