The riskiest way to prove you’re right

Sometimes it’s necessary to take desperate actions so the world takes you seriously.

A good example is Barry Marshall, who made a… let’s say, “sacrifice” in order to force the medical community to turn their heads:

From the first industrial revolution until the early 1980s, everyone “knew” that stress was the cause of stomach ulcers.

It’s logical, don’t you think?… more stress -> more acid -> ulcers.

Dr. Marshall disagreed, and set to work.

Marshall partnered with the conveniently named Robin Warren to show that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria.

Hundreds of biopsies, cultures and experiments later, his hypothesis was practically confirmed.

But the scientific community laughed at him.

Animal tests were insufficient for demonstration.

He had to experiment on a healthy human.

So Marshall, as a mad scientist… did what any mad scientist would do in his place.

He drank a complete culture with the bacteria, bottoms up.

Because YOLO.

In less than a week, he developed an ulcer that would make any Mad Men publicist blush.

(And survived to tell the tale).

It was a statement for the whole community: Marshall matters.

This is where Barry made the experiment. Right?

Marshall’s experiment is considered one of the most important milestones in 20th century medicine.

Finally, in 2005 he won the Nobel in that field, along with Warren.

We all have one, even several, moments in our life that we have to put all of our chips on the table.

«All in», as they say in poker.

In Marshall’s case, he had absolutely all the evidence that his theory of healing ulcers with antibiotics would work.

But what about us?

Sometimes we have to make that leap of faith even though everyone warns us otherwise.

(Marshall himself concealed the experiment from his wife, including the tiny detail of increasing the chances of stomach cancer by 10x as a result).

Are you willing to do something like that?