Action and Consequence

No pun here our parents always said we needed to think before we act.  In dentistry we gather data. The patients chief complaint the system used in all medical fields is SOAP.
Gather Subjective information, this is the patients chief complaint. Next gather Objective information this is the information gathered from looking at the patient clinically it is what the doctor sees. Visually and through what they find through radiographs and sometimes through stone models of the patients dentition. We then Assess all information and formulate a Prognosis based on a determined treatment plan. I have simplified it here but it is a general overview of what takes place in the mind of the clinician.
In life if we break the law there is a consequence. If we overinflate a bike tire there is a consequence of a getting a blowout. If we ask a girl out on a date. She can say yes or no. If we don't maintain our oral health we can get cavities loose teeth etc.
If we choose not to continue to learn and embrace newer technology. We are not offering the best treatment for our patients.
Why am I writing about Action and consequence. I see to often in todays world of people acting without giving consideration of what that action will yield. At a young age I was taught to think before I acted. Yes I tested the limits. I got in trouble. But I learned, I realized, that hey my parents were right. As a father of 2 teenagers I see that this is not an easy lesson to be learned. As teenagers we think in our own world. That our opinion is the only one that matters. That society does not have a clue as to what is going on.  I am seeing to many kids getting in trouble, thinking that they are infallible. Then I see kids who do what is expected go to school get good grades and move on to a successful career.
I ask why the disharmony. Our some of us just pre-programmed to push the envelope act with out thinking. I believe these individuals are the non-conformers. They are the ones looking to make a change. Maybe they are the Bill Gates or the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world.
If we do not push the envelope then all stays the same. Change can be good or bad. It should not hurt another or negatively impact ones future.
Teenagers and young twenty something's push this envelope regularly. They live in the moment. Something we all need to do. At the same time using our brains and asking ourselves what willbe the impact of this action.
If I do not provide the best clinical care. Then there is a consequence to that action. A failed restoration. A infection left untreated, a cancer not diagnosed, tooth loss and the list can go and on.
We all need to think before we act. Whether it is in the Medical field or in living life.
We can not live in the past. We can only learn from it. We need to live in the present and think of how those actions will in fact effect our future and those that we interact with.