Read time: 5 minutes.

At a glance:

• Quote:

• Picture

• What I’ve Learned

What I Learned:

In the 12^th century, a young boy—Parsifal—is born to a low-class mother.

He wants to become an knight.

And make his mother proud.

As luck would have it—he gets a chance to meet a real knight.

He begs the knight to train him, and after a series of adventures, he progresses to become a knight himself!

But the country becomes a wasteland.

A curse has been placed on the King.

Parisfal arrives at the King’s castle.

The King is in terrible pain.

As a compassionate human, he wants to ask the King, “What is wrong?” and “Can I help you in any way?”

And according to the curse bestowed on the King—of which Parisal is unaware—any knight who displays a compassionate gesture will cure the ailing King and return glory to the land.

…..But Parisfal doesn’t speak.

He’s been trained to never speak to a King unless spoken to.

He’s torn. 

He truly wants to help.

He’s finally the knight his mother would be proud of.

But he leaves the castle without saying a word.

Parisal wakes up the following day to find the King and castle have disappeared.

Parsifal blew his chance. 

And by obeying a strict rule, the country goes to ruin because Parisfal chose his training

….over his heart.

Later in the week, I interviewed Dr. Chris Bonebreak Jackson.

She is a colleague, and someone I hold in high regard in our industry. A living orthodontic legend in the making.

I asked her: “What’s your best advice to the industry?”

Read her response:

“I repeatedly think about the same thing – it’s doing the right thing.

And I say this because doing the right thing may be an unprofitable thing. That might mean you’re writing off a balance because the patient lost a parent. It might mean you’re making the extra retainer because the family is trying financially. Those are extreme examples, but do the right thing for your team and patient, and everything else will be handled.

It's my best guiding principle.”

After his failure, Parisfal embarks on a spiritual journey. 

He matures to a point where he realizes that true knighthood isn’t about combat or following rigid codes.

Elite knights keep empathy and human connection at their core.

His transformation culminates when he gets an opportunity to return to the castle—but this time, he asks the healing questions to the King, demonstrating to other knights to prioritize compassion over all else.

This realization—that compassion is more important than blind adherence to rules—makes Parsifal a legend, an elite knight in King Arthur’s court.

Two legends.

The same realization.

One passed around as a parable to 12th-century knights, the other to 21st-century orthodontists.

Both suggesting that the highest achievement comes not through financial self-interest, rigid rule following, or status—But in our shared empathy, and in recognition of doing the right thing for others.

Do the right thing.

No matter what.

When in doubt:

Chose your heart ..over your training.

“Through compassion, knowledge comes.”

The full Dr. Chris Bonebreak Jackson interview can be read here.