Reply #83: A very astute comment...

[truth2power]

I was really struck by that woman's statement. I can't understand how she could be so clueless in terms of the real cost of healthcare and how that cost can result in financial ruin in a very short time.

I think you're onto something in terms of their not having tested their assertions. But to expand on this...most of us don't need to actually experience (or test) the consequences of some action to determine if it's a good idea or not.

We can conceptualize, or engage in thought experiments, if you will. What I see, in terms of people like this woman, is that they can't actually play with the "what-ifs" in their minds. That's a very dangerous position to be in.

If the only way to determine whether you can swim across a river is to jump in and try, you probably won't survive very long. If you're able to think through all the factors in your mind, you may decide it's not a very good idea.

You are correct. It'll be very sad if that woman ever comes up against a catastrophic illness. It's too bad that she can't explore the implications beforehand.