Reconciling the two is a bit like trying to get a cat to enjoy bath time. Possible in theory, entertaining in practice, but rarely satisfying for anyone involved.

“How?” you ask. Well, ideally by getting dogma to loosen its tie, sit down for a latte, and listen to something other than the echo of its own certainty. Informed consent, meanwhile, will need to stop interrupting with inconvenient questions like “Do I really have a choice?” and “Why wasn’t I told this part up front?”

We’d need a miracle. Or, failing that, a sincere conversation where professionals acknowledge nuance, uncertainty, and—dare we dream?—the patient’s brain. But don’t worry, we’ll just add it to the long list of things that sound reasonable until you try them in real life.