I saw a colleague of mine, physician, get creamed on Twitter, for posting a photo maskless, during air travel.

Decided to investigate further. He was really getting creamed.

Apparently, the physician had tested positive for the virus around one week before, though he may have contested that timing.

The physician appears both before the flight, and after, along with his child.

I felt really bad for the blasting that he received, because it was truly brutal.

He had attempted an apology for having share the photos, and the unforgiving folks on Twitter didn’t think it was enough.

People expected more of him, as both a physician, and as the representative of a big-name organization.

I’m personally not disappointed at the specifics of this particular incident, but rather at the way so many physicians these days seem to merely preach at the others in the world who follow them.

They often have a lot to say when others don’t follow particular rules.

Yet, so many of these ‘martyrs’ don’t hold themselves to the same standards, where their own lives are concerned.

It’s not a great look.

I’m not suggesting that my colleagues not post, or not preach. We’re supposed to be loud defenders of science.

I’m merely suggesting that they don’t take extremes.

Be reasonable, when online, because the world is not black or white.

When you appear preachy, people lose their trust in us.

I think there’s a fine balance between wanting to be a role model, where humans are concerned, and being militant about our messaging.

We can certainly advocate for evidence-based medicine, and what we know to be true, and still except that there will be those who don’t believe in it, or are apprehensive to follow our advice.

Let’s continue leading from a place of understanding and love.

Let’s be the physicians the world expects us to be: empathetic humans who lead.