The one building is taller, lit by
floodlights, signed with massive gaudy multicolored flashing moving
lights that glow to the horizon. It cost tens of millions of dollars
to build and equip and it is staffed with a large number of cleaning
and maintenance workers, many more others whose duty is to ensure the
comfort of the people who arrive seeking to win, and a core of
well-trained experts who determine in large degree whether these
people win, or lose. The building was built with one goal in mind.
And it generally succeeds in satisfying this goal.
The second building is not as tall and
lacks the floodlights. It is signed with modest informational lighted
and arrowed directions that facilitate finding the right doors in the
dark. It does not light up the sky. It too cost tens of millions of
dollars to build and equip and it is staffed with a large number of
cleaning and maintenance workers, many more others whose duty is to
ensure the comfort of the people who arrive seeking to win, and a
well-trained core of experts who determine in large degree whether
these people win, or lose. The building was built with one goal in
mind. And it generally succeeds in satisfying this goal.
Many people seek out these two
buildings, all with the goal of winning, and the risk of losing,
occupying their minds. Each of these people knows there is a degree
of chance, a degree of randomness but also some predictability, to
whether they will win or lose inside each building. Many hope for
luck as they arrive. Others pray for divine intervention. Some think
they are preordained to win. Others sense they might lose, but they
try not to dwell upon this. But they show in great numbers, because
the chance to win, however nearly certain or only a prayer, is a
powerful drive.
From these brief descriptions you might
conclude that there is considerable similarity between these two
buildings, and perhaps even more similarity between the people who
built them and manage them. Surely these folks have the same goals if
the buildings seem so much the same. Obviously, someone spent the
money to build, equip and staff these two buildings. They presumably
expect some reward for doing this. I think we can conclude that these
would not be reasonable investments if some profit did not flow from
the people visiting the two buildings into the hands of the people
who work in those two buildings and also into the hands of those who
paid to build, equip and staff them.
There is one significant difference
between the people who built and manage these two buildings. The
first of these groups of people is admired and even celebrated and
the people flock to their building wearing smiles, and they mostly
leave the building at the end of their stay with a similar smile.
They spent some considerable amount of money in that building and
thus the building served its purpose for the people who built and
manage it. Some leave having won, and most do not. Most lose.
The second group of people is sometimes
admired and even celebrated, but is often not. This second group is
instead very often a subject of distrust and even scorn. The people
who visit the building don't generally arrive wearing smiles, and
only some leave with one. The people who visited spent some
considerable money in that building, and thus this building also
served its purpose to those who invested to build and staff it. Some
visiting people leave the building having won, and others have lost.
So again it might seem that these are
two nearly identical situations. And to many it might seem that this
is so. But one very significant difference does exist. For you see,
the first group of people who built and staffed their building
fervently hope that the people who visit their building will lose.
They structure every single aspect of that building to encourage
people to lose as much and as often as possible. This first group of
people cares nothing more than for how they can create an environment
in which people will lose. And they lie, cheat, and steal to insure
that this happens.
The second group of people is subtly
different, for they instead do everything in their power to see that
the people who visit will win. And they spend very little time
plotting how to scam more money from their visitors.
So why does the public in general
generally like the first group of people more than the second, and
they instead often accuse the second group of the nefarious
behaviors?
Well.....in case you haven't guessed,
the first group of people built and manage a casino, and the second
group of people built and manage a hospital. And the people who like
a casino and accuse a hospital of lying, cheating, and
stealing.....well, they are a bit unclear on the concept.
I'm going to make a leap of faith here
and assume that at least some of you reading this see the truth. And
then I'm going to ask you to extend some understanding toward your
local veterinary hospital. And when I suggest that I want you to
consider the recent 20/20 program in which a known self-serving quack
spent considerable effort to discredit the people who built and staff
veterinary hospitals, I hope you will realize that we manage them
the way we do because we fervently hope that the people who
arrive with misgivings will leave after having a win. The ravings of
a quack notwithstanding, that is what generally happens in a
veterinary hospital.
