The Sensible Life: The Reflections of a Psychiatrist Life is an interpretation but not an illusion.

For millennia, great thinkers have considered balance and moderation the keys to an ideal life—going all the way back to Aristotle’s golden mean. But when it comes to concepts such as “sensible” and “balanced,” which are weighted with such a personal set of values, is there any objective standard the human mind can use to pinpoint the intended meaning within? As it turns out, while language can sometimes be our biggest advantage as human beings, it can also be our greatest roadblock to true understanding. Language perpetuates the mind-body myth. It distorts and skews reality based on our perceptions and serves only to reinforce the subjective, ever-changing context through which we experience just about everything in life. After nearly fifty years of practice as a clinical psychiatrist, Robert D. Martin, MD, shares his own reflections on the biases shaping how people see the world—and the unique role of language in reinforcing the value-laden uncertainties of life. The Sensible Life contains a lifetime of wisdom and thought about interpersonal relations, human perception, and the problems created by language—while also proposing that a better understanding of these issues can lead to a more sensible and balanced life.