"While advances in scientific research have led to some new and exciting treatments that have enlarged and enhanced the quality and length of human life, we must not lose sight as to what we are trying to accomplish"
About this Quote
The vague “we must not lose sight” does heavy lifting. Deal never names what might be lost, because specificity would force him to take sides in the culture-war terrain that often shadows biomedical progress: end-of-life decisions, embryonic research, gene editing, costs and access, the meaning of “quality” versus mere longevity. By keeping “what we are trying to accomplish” undefined, he invites every constituency to project its own mission onto “we” - fiscal conservatives can hear efficiency, religious voters can hear sanctity, health-policy technocrats can hear outcomes.
Contextually, this is the language of governance in the age of miracle medicine: leaders must celebrate science without ceding ethical authority to scientists, markets, or patient demand. The intent is less philosophical than managerial. Deal is marking a boundary around progress: yes to longer lives, but only if the story remains anchored to shared civic purpose - and, implicitly, to the moral frameworks politicians claim to represent. It’s a soft call for oversight, wrapped in optimism, designed to sound unifying while reserving the right to say no later.
Quote Details
| Topic | Science |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Deal, Nathan. (2026, January 15). While advances in scientific research have led to some new and exciting treatments that have enlarged and enhanced the quality and length of human life, we must not lose sight as to what we are trying to accomplish. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-advances-in-scientific-research-have-led-to-90081/
Chicago Style
Deal, Nathan. "While advances in scientific research have led to some new and exciting treatments that have enlarged and enhanced the quality and length of human life, we must not lose sight as to what we are trying to accomplish." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-advances-in-scientific-research-have-led-to-90081/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"While advances in scientific research have led to some new and exciting treatments that have enlarged and enhanced the quality and length of human life, we must not lose sight as to what we are trying to accomplish." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/while-advances-in-scientific-research-have-led-to-90081/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.


