Concepts Editorial: The Four Corners of Truth

Editorial:

Alvin Toffler once said, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." In a world of ever changing theory and confirmed advancements dealing with orofacial pain, this is especially true. There are now over 50 accepted theories of learning with many diverse approaches being employed by faculty in a single institution or department of that institution, so learning is a challenge for students at all levels. The learning necessities of the 21st century are too demanding and too critical to rely solely on formal education as the source of learning. One can understand Albert Einstein’s statement that, "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." Perhaps, it is this very curiosity that plants the seed of learning in the minds of those who become interested in the field of orofacial pain. That was certainly true in my own experience, for it was in the early 1960s that a patient presenting himself in my office with orofacial pain ignited the fire of curiosity in my mind that lead to a professional lifetime practice of seeking elusive answers to the cause and effect of orofacial pain, and as a teacher, to sharing my experiences along with the knowledge and experiences of others. However, as a teacher I have come to recognize the limitations expressed by Confucius: "Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you only one corner, and it is for you to find the other three." To find the other three corners is the responsibility of every practitioner in the field of medicine, but because of the elusive nature of orofacial pain, it is a very daunting challenge for practitioners in this field. To reach success, we must employ many methods of learning.
One of the oldest methods of learning is through mentoring. The original Mentor is a character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus, king of Ithaca, went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor who served as a teacher and overseer of Odysseus’s son, Telemachus. Mentoring today has as great an application to learning as it did in the days of Homer—most of us can point to a mentor, trusted counselor, or a guide who has added greatly to our knowledge base and to the success we enjoy. Einstein summed up the value of mentoring when he said, "Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means."
One of the 50 accepted theories of learning is Vicarious Learning - a form of mentoring or learning through the eyes of others. Vicarious Learning "allows an observer to improve his/her decision-making and to modify his/her actions through observing others’ past actions and resulting consequences." In this issue of CRANIO, we have the opportunity to experience the benefits of Vicarious Learning through a case report section consisting of four different articles. The authors are mentors who share lessons learned and who allow all of us to learn vicariously from both their good and adverse experiences. The case reports presented are diverse in nature and not mainstream in occurrence, but as one of the authors states, "The source of orofacial pain is often difficult to diagnose, especially in the absence of objective findings. Obviously in the dental office, attention is initially focused on the evaluation of the health of the dentition, but when no apparently odontogenic, occlusal, or periodontal problem is discovered, many dentists are at a loss as what to do next. The patient may subsequently be referred to a specialist, but if the doctor likewise cannot determine an accurate diagnosis, what becomes of the patient?"
I trust your vicarious learning experience while reviewing these case reports will not only hold your interest but will also assist your search for the remaining three corners of truth beyond the one corner of basic understanding. As Buddha said, "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."