Here come the carers

Abstract

Once upon a time it would have been seen as ‘bad form’ to declare yourself as warm, empathic, authentic, empowering or caring. You might hope that others would notice and report your virtues, but you would keep this to yourself. Best of all, you would try to be un-self-conscious when discharging duties and honouring obligations. Any claim to saintliness led to immediate disqualification. Actions spoke louder than words. Clever words about the quality of our actions were frowned upon.

‘Tesco Cares’

‘This Easter, say you care — with a Rotary Watch’

‘Caring for Your City’

‘Your caring, sharing bank’

‘Bank of Scotland: A Friend for Life’

In today’s highly complex society, it takes years of training in rationalisation, accommodation and compromise to qualify for the good jobs with the really big payoff you need to retain a first-rate psychiatrist in todays world.

(Baker, 1968)¹