The hidden costs of health care are largely in the denial of antifragility. But it may not be just medicine—what we
call diseases of civilization result from the attempt by humans to make life comfortable for ourselves against our
own interest, since the comfortable is what fragilizes.
Less Is More
For instance, a small number of homeless people cost the states a disproportionate share of the bills, which
makes it obvious where to look for the savings. A small number of employees in a corporation cause the most
problems, corrupt the general attitude—and vice versa—so getting rid of these is a great solution. A small number
of customers generate a large share of the revenues. I get 95 percent of my smear postings from the same three
obsessive persons, all representing the same prototypes of failure (one of whom has written, I estimate, close to
one hundred thousand words in posts—he needs to write more and more and find more and more stuff to critique
in my work and personality to get the same effect). When it comes to health care, Ezekiel Emanuel showed that
half the population accounts for less than 3 percent of the costs, with the sickest 10 percent consuming
64 percent of the total pie.
2·6 days ago