When your profession is a bit paternalistic and believes there are certain things that communities must do to improve their health, like vaccines, one must be aware. I believe in vaccines, and I trust the science behind them which has backboned my entire career. Beyond my belief, they are better when the majority gets them. Herd immunity is a real thing.

It is also true that:

Working in real cultural contexts (which breathe and vibrate) is different than working in laboratories.

I could scream this.

I read a careful article (link) not too long ago about the most important quality of global health professionals:

humility.

I´m also aware I have more of my own work to do to approach my work from a place of humility. Writer Anup Argawal writes:

Humility is that uneasy awareness that you are in many ways still an outsider, you do not have the full context or lived experience of another being, and you do not have all the right answers.

Humility is the feeling that should make you pause and listen fully before contributing.

I will also add the words of Seth Godin that one must remember that people don´t think what you think or believe what you believe.