The Odyssey of Patient Satisfaction and Mortality

Research Brief

The Odyssey, the work of the ancient Greek poet Homer, is a literary epic about Odysseus and his crew, who after a long war campaign find themselves battling elements, beasts, and mythical perils to simply return home. Among its cinema-worthy tales of adventure (like stabbing a cyclops in the eye with the fire-tempered spear) there are many life lessons the crew learns along the way. One notable example is the isle of the Lotus-eaters. After another narrow escape, the adventurers find themselves in a lush paradise populated by peaceful inhabitants who welcome them as guests and offer their isle’s edible namesake; a lotus plant. The lotus is pleasant to the taste, but also imbues a sense of pleasure and euphoric complacency in the eater. Though seemingly harmless, Odysseus soon realizes that the lotus is steadily subverting the desires of his crew, completely erasing their memory of home.

Fearing this transformation in his men, Odysseus intervenes, literally dragging his enchanted comrades back to their ship. Though tempted himself to forgo all hardship and surrender to the comforts of the lotus plant, Odysseus retains the central, driving purpose at hand: to return to their homeland and reclaim their lives.