Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances”
- Source
- Aequanimitas
- Date
- 1889
Meaning of “coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances”
Osler defines professional imperturbability as maintaining enough composure to perceive and act clearly when circumstances are difficult or urgent.
Where does it come from?
Aequanimitas, valedictory address delivered at the University of Pennsylvania on May 1, 1889; reviewed against the represented 1906 second edition of Aequanimitas with Other Addresses, Internet Archive identifier aequanimitaswith00osle_0. Osler defines imperturbability as ‘coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances,’ immediately followed by ‘calmness amid storm’ and ‘clearness of judgment in moments of grave peril.’ This remains historical medical-professional rhetoric about composure, not clinical guidance or an instruction to suppress emotion.
