When it rains...

I don't think people seriously take into consideration, well, consideration for other people. I can see how, over time, if you receive very little consideration, you'll dish it out in much the same manner. It's only Thursday, but this week alone, I've already gotten a relatively real threat of being sued (which, being entirely frivolous and without basis, doesn't particularly bother me; if they would like to waste their money, they can go right ahead), was physically threatened by another patient and had to call 911 for police to escort them from the clinic. Super.
I suppose it comes with the territory - whenever you deal with other people, who make overwhelmingly ridiculous demands that you cannot fulfill, they get angry. Now, fortunately, the literature points to very few physician fatalities over the years (thank goodness), but, despite the relative respect and authority that they are granted, it is not uncommon for physicians to get verbally assaulted, spat upon, slapped and punched. I don't think people get the fact that when they do that, it makes it even more unlikely to have the physician want to help them.
I guess it's also like customer service; I would imagine if a customer is going ballistic on the phone, the customer service rep tunes out, and becomes even more unlikely to want to provide good customer service.
Same here; the likelihood I would actually want to help someone, instead of punching them in the face, when I've been threatened becomes vanishingly small.