Silver linings we attribute to diseases—whether those linings are that syphilitics have moments of manic genius, or tuberculosis sufferers become angelically beautiful, or people with Alzheimer’s learn to live in the moment—are total bullshit. They do not lessen the horrors of the disease for anyone suffering from it. Instead they demean the very real suffering of victims and can make society less motivated to find a cure.
This is true of all illnesses.
