4 Life Lessons From Gregory House M.D.

This Thurday at 9PM House finally returns to TV in the UK for the fourth series. If you are a regular reader of this blog you will no doubt know that I am a big fan of the show and have waited a long time for the new series, resisting all urges to watch cheap copies of it online. With this in mind it seems fitting that I take a look at the ever intriguing Gregory House and wonder whether – despite being a vicodin popping, bitterly sarcastic, rule breaking doctor – we can learn a thing or two from him.

• Don’t be afraid to be wrong
  It’s easy to assume that House is always right. He is after all a top diagnostician who deduces a great deal about a person from the simplest of conversations. If he can’t figure out what’s wrong with you, nobody can. In actuality, he usually gets it wrong most of the time, before he finally gets to the right diagnosis. Each time he is wrong though, he learns something new. He accepts that failure happens but from it he becomes that bit better both from the experience and the knowledge he gains.
• Run with every idea
  Whenever House is stuck with a case he almost always goes to his drawing board and brainstorms ideas, typically with the help of his team. He doesn’t go into something blind, or without doing the necessary homework. Rarely do ideas come to us out of the blue. Something triggers it. In House’s case it’s usually a casual remark by Wilson or Cuddy that turns the lights on. Put the time and effort into thinking through stuff, doing the research and asking why and how. Question everything.
• Work/life balance
  Some may think House is a lazy individual but it’s not that simple. When he has to diagnose someone, when a case intrigues him, when he’s doing his job, that’s what he focuses on. He will relentlessly study a case to get better understanding. However, he also often does it in a way that would make any business manager proud; he delegates as much of it as possible to his team. This gives him plenty of time for himself. He doesn’t usually use his personal time constructively but that’s a separate issue :)
• Think logically
  House regularly offends people, challenges the religious perception of others and constantly questions the viewpoints of society in general. Nothing is down to fate or destiny, there is logic to everything. With that in mind it’s ultimately down to you and relying on such phenomena as luck is flawed thinking. Don’t let emotions and bias affect your judgment.