I’m always suspicious of directives that are all-encompassing and absolute – Do this. Don’t do that. Always do this. Never do that – when they come with no accompanying rationale or context. It’s hard to decide whether you agree or disagree with a statement unless it’s backed up with an explanation.
Why does the person telling me this believe it’s true? Why do they believe it’s true for me? In what situations does it apply? In what situations doesn’t it apply? And what is the consequence if it happens anyway?
Warning labels often fit into this category, despite having good intentions. “Do not drink alcohol while taking this medication.” “Only use as intended.” “Do not mix with….” These are important instructions, but the lack of accompanying information creates a pocket of danger: what is the result if it happens anyway? If you decide to drink alcohol while on the medication against the advice, or if you failed to understand the product directions, or if the product actually does get mixed with whatever… what happens then? What do I do to fix it? How bad is the outcome?
I think sometimes this information is left out because of liability concerns, or because the person writing the label thinks that, if we know the consequences, we’ll decide they aren’t that bad and do them anyway. But managing risk is an important part of life, and how do you manage risk if you don’t have all the available information?
The reality is, while many people will blindly follow the directions (if they read them at all), a lot of other people will say “forget it” and do it anyway if it’s important enough to them. And since they don’t know what problems to look out for, they can’t plan for the risks they’re assuming. They’re going in blind, and that’s dangerous.
Peter Davoust 