“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl
Throughout history, the idea of the mean—a balanced state between excess and deficiency—has been seen as foundational to human flourishing. From Aristotle’s ethical “Golden Mean” to modern theories of homeostasis and emotional regulation, the theme of equilibrium runs consistently through both ancient philosophy and contemporary science. In the domain of health, this principle manifests through the neutralization of emotionally charged perceptions, which influence everything from stress hormones to immune function and mental clarity. Health is not simply a matter of avoiding illness, but of maintaining inner balance—physiological, psychological, and chemical—through a regulated and centered way of perceiving life.
The Philosophical Roots of Balance
The classical roots of the mean are most famously expressed in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, where he argued that virtue lies in moderation. Courage, for example, is the mean between cowardice and recklessness. This principle, when translated into the realm of health, suggests that neither indulgence nor deprivation fosters well-being. Instead, sustainable health arises from measured habits and balanced responses to life’s experiences.
This philosophical groundwork aligns seamlessly with modern psychological and biological models. Emotional extremes—whether elation or despair—tend to destabilize the nervous system. Cognitive behavioral psychology, for instance, identifies polarized thinking (all-or-nothing thinking) as a major source of mental and emotional distress. Similarly, mindfulness traditions emphasize non-reactivity and neutral observation as the basis for inner peace and psychological resilience.
Perception as a Biological Driver
Contemporary neuroscience and psychoneuroimmunology have revealed that how we perceive the world shapes how our body responds. When an event is viewed as threatening or traumatic, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, triggering a cascade of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This state, designed for acute survival, becomes harmful when prolonged, leading to inflammation, hormonal dysregulation, and lowered immune resistance.
However, studies in neuroplasticity and autonomic regulation show that reappraising a situation with balanced awareness can alter brain circuitry, calming the stress response and enhancing parasympathetic dominance—the state associated with digestion, healing, and regeneration. Perception, in this context, becomes chemistry. When individuals learn to see both sides of a situation—the benefits and drawbacks, gains and losses—they reduce psychological charge and return the body to a state of homeostasis.
The Mean as Emotional Integration
From a systems perspective, health is about integration. Just as the body seeks physiological homeostasis—such as maintaining blood sugar or body temperature within a narrow optimal range—the mind seeks psychological homeostasis through emotional equilibrium. When we label experiences as either wholly negative or wholly positive, we split our perception and create internal conflict. This split activates emotional centers of the brain such as the amygdala and destabilizes regulatory systems.
Balanced perception, on the other hand, engages the prefrontal cortex, the seat of executive function and foresight. This part of the brain is responsible for moderating emotional reactivity, planning rational responses, and integrating experience. When a person can identify meaning in hardship or see limitations in moments of euphoria, their emotional response becomes regulated, and their physiology follows suit.
This echoes the teachings of Stoic philosophers such as Epictetus, who emphasized perception as the gateway to peace, and Eastern philosophies like Taoism, which views harmony as the dynamic balance of opposites. In both, health is not the pursuit of pleasure or avoidance of pain, but the capacity to hold both within awareness—a living embodiment of the mean.
Biochemical Equilibrium and Health
Charged emotions are not abstract—they have measurable biological signatures. Chronic resentment or unresolved grief, for instance, are linked to elevated cortisol, reduced heart rate variability, and weakened immune markers such as immunoglobulin A. Conversely, individuals who practice cognitive reappraisal, gratitude, or value-centered reflection show greater parasympathetic activity, better immune function, and more stable hormonal rhythms.
In this way, emotional neutrality—not indifference, but the balanced integration of opposing perceptions—becomes a biochemical medicine. The body reflects the mind’s capacity to return to center.
Living the Mean
Ultimately, health emerges not from the extremes of asceticism or indulgence, denial or obsession, but from a daily practice of measured living and perception. By refining the ability to see life as it is—balanced, dual, and meaningful—individuals reduce internal chaos and restore inner coherence. Whether expressed in hormone levels, inflammatory markers, or emotional states, the mean reveals itself as a natural law operating across all domains of human experience.
The mean is not merely a philosophical idea—it is a lived principle, deeply embedded in human physiology, psychology, and behavior. When we move away from polarized, emotionally charged perceptions and cultivate a neutral, integrated awareness, we align with the body’s
innate drive toward balance. This balanced state—rooted in perception, grounded in biology, and supported by timeless wisdom—is the foundation of true health.
Value Determination: https://drdemartini.com/values/