The present crisis within the government’s drug advisory department reminds me of a lecture many years ago whilst studying for a masters degree in social research methods and statistics.
The guest speaker was a senior researcher of the then government. He appeared to be a rather sanguine, phlegmatic man. As he spoke, I felt the frustration and anger he didn’t seem to feel when describing how, when his thorough, all-encompassing research was not deemed congruent with government decisions or choices or aspirations, and shelved.

It took many more of life’s knocks before I realised that he had access to a variety of choices.
1. He could have remained angry and very frustrated in his job.
2. He could have left and found another job.
3. He could have decided that he was doing his best and that it was not that his research was flawed, but that the decision makers had decided to [yet again] shelve his thorough research.

He chose the third option because he said he loved doing research; how it was disseminated (or not) was not his business. His business ended when handing over the report.

We all have choices – do we take time to really work out which is the best choice for us? Do the choices we make tend to allow us to stand in our power, enhance our confidence and well-being?

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