You Don’t Need to Be a Psychologist to Know That Trust in Public Health Is Earned — Not Mandated

By Michelle Rabin, Ph.D.

I spent my professional career as a clinical psychologist treating adults and studying human behavior. Over decades of observing people — their motivations, fears, loyalties and blind spots, you begin to see patterns.

I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of what human beings are capable of. Certain aspects of human nature become predictable. You learn how difficult it is for people to question beliefs when those beliefs are tied to their identity, their career and their social standing.

What I’m here to report is that there are a few things that are pretty obvious to just about anyone who has an opportunity to really see what is right smack in front of them.

You don’t need an advanced degree to understand it. You don’t need countless research articles to prove it. On some level, we all simply know that it’s true once the evidence becomes available.

… You don’t need to be a psychologist to know this.

This brings me to an uncomfortable but important issue: what happens when entire professional communities build their careers on assumptions that later become controversial or questioned? How do human beings react when the very foundation of their life’s work is challenged and brought into question?