In Hungary, it is customary for patients to pay doctors thank-you money for the treatment they receive. In past years there have been many estimates of how much all the thank-you money given in a year amounts to. It is many billions of florints.
In the daily, Népszava, Istvan Kun asked on August 3: “Are they [the patients] really so grateful? Are they really so concerned about their doctors being underpaid?
“Why does everyone pay up, from the very rich to the very poor?… It is generally accepted that thank-you money is given out of gratitude. Rubbish! It’s paid out of FEAR! No one wants to die before their time or be tied to their bed for the rest of their lives.”
Surely fear is the reason why a large chunk of GDP is invested in health care in all civilized countries, though it is never named as the reason. To be afraid is nothing to be proud of. However, no one can deny that, after intense analysis, there is no question that fear is the universal motivation.
But what good does it do to recognize this? All insurance companies make their living out of people’s fears. Should we suggest to opponents of the national health service to argue that only sissies need it?
No. We are all sissies. That is an aspect of the human condition.
Take it or leave it.
Eric Koch’s new book, The Weimar Triangle, is available at Indigo-Chapters and in your local bookstore. 
Fear is an instinct for survival. We are survivalists not necessarily sissies.
True, but Fear makes a more effective blog!
In my limited experience it just as often takes the form of “please don’t hurt me” money, given in advance, but then I am a pessimistic sissy.
That is good advice to your fellow-sissies.