The dentist she removed my old crown and fitted a new one. Dentistry requires a peculiar kind of faith. When the dentist tells you a tooth needs replacing or a filling needs attention, you have little choice but to believe. While they are working inside your mouth you cannot inspect the craftsmanship or ask for a second opinion in real time. You surrender your jaw, your wallet, and a surprising amount of confidence to someone whose work you will only understand once the freezing wears off. An arrangement built almost entirely on trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This particular dentist is very good. Sometimes I think excellent. But she has one trait that unsettles me. Whenever something doesn’t go quite right, her instinct is never to begin with the possibility that she herself might have contributed to the problem. Her first response is to frame the story so that responsibility lies elsewhere. It is a small thing, but I notice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dislike the same quality in musicians. Or almost anyone, really. I have always been drawn to people who willingly expose an unflattering angle of themselves. Someone who says, “I got that wrong,” or “That was my mistake,” immediately becomes more interesting to me. Admitting weakness makes a person appear stronger. A little self-incrimination, shortest route to credibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"