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apparently it does matter. earlier this week, we learned that comedian kathy griffin has lung cancer , and in almost every interview there was mention of the fact that she has never smoked a day in her life — you know, just in case you were maybe thinking that she somehow brought the diagnosis on herself by lighting up once in awhile. and with that, we were suddenly judging, instead of focusing on what’s most important — supporting a fellow human who is facing a life-threatening disease.
the nfl saw its own version of the cancer blame game a couple of weeks ago after ron rivera — the coach of the washington football team who is also immunodeficient after receiving treatment for skin cancer last year — complained that just over half of players have been vaccinated, despite the league’s mandate stating that a covid-19 outbreak could lead to forfeits.
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“i think that in one part, there is a fundamental assumption in our society that the world is a just place, and that bad things don’t happen to good people,” gerald devins, a stigma researcher and senior scientist at the ontario cancer institute in toronto, told slate . “and i think when bad things happen to good people, it’s threatening to everybody.”
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um, well, yes. in fact, experts call this the “just-world hypothesis.” coined in the 1970s by university of waterloo psychologist melvin lerner , it follows the assumption that “people get what they deserve.” blame is how we rationalize the suffering of others. we even have lots of fun ways of referring to it, like, “you got what was coming to you,” “what goes around comes around,” and “chickens come home to roost.”
for some, this might look like experiencing deep wallowing regret for their lifestyle choices — whether real, or made up. others fear that “it is the harvest of bad seeds sown,” writes reverend percy mccray jr., the director of faith-based programs at the cancer treatment centers of america. “they have sinned and now god — or fate or karma or the universe — has given them exactly what they deserve.”
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and as if having a life-threatening illness wasn’t difficult enough, the consequences of feeling guilty about it can be dire. according to the canadian cancer society , people facing the stigma of lung cancer tend to delay treatment or choose not to have treatment for fear of being blamed; they find it harder to talk about their illness with their doctor; and they believe they get a lower quality of care. they also withdraw from family and friends, experience more depression and anxiety and have a lower quality of life. but these often devastating impacts are not unique to people with lung cancer: if you have an illness that is perceived as self-inflicted, or you are made to feel that it is so, you know exactly what the sting of stigma can do.
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