Why do other people's stories affect whether a patient accepts treatment? Because emotions beat logic, and other people's emotions beat your patient's logic. The data is consistent. We remember things far better when there is an emotional component, when something hits the senses, than when it is dry facts and statistics. On top of that, someone else's emotional experience, conveyed to your patient, can override that patient's own logical thinking. That is powerful. So when I review options, I tie them to pain motivators and happiness factors, not just clinical features. And I deliberately bring in a friends, family, and others [...]