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Robert A. Burton Biography

Robert A. Burton is an American physician, novelist, nonfiction author and columnist. His books include three critically acclaimed novels[citation needed], as well as the nonfiction books On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not and A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Aeon, and Nautilus, among other others. His medical career includes being the chief of the Division of Neurology at Mt. Zion UCSF, and Associate Chief of the Department of Neurosciences.

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Robert A. Burton Quotes

Diseases crucify the soul of man, attenuate our bodies, dry them, wither them, rivel them up like old apples, make them as so many Anatomies.

Anatomies, Apples, Health, Like, Man, Men

He is only fantastical that is not in fashion.

Clothes, Fantastical, Fashion

Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent tobacco, which goes far beyond all the panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases but as it is commonly abused by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, 'Tis a plague, a mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health; hellish, devilish and damned tobacco, the ruin and overthrow of body and soul.

Abused, Land, Men, Purger, Smoking, Take

No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life. " Yes, we should engage in ruthless self-reflection and harsh scrutiny, but we should simultaneously acknowledge that such introspection will, at best, only result in a partial view of our minds at work. Complete objectivity is not an option.

Engage, Good Life, Humility, Minds, Reflection, Seriously

Our mental limitations prevent us from accepting our mental limitations.

Accepting, Humility, Limitation, Limitations, Mental

Hope and patience are two sovereign remedies for all, the surest reposals, the softest cushions to lean on in adversity.

Adversity, Hopeful, Reposals, Softest, Two

One was never married, and that's his hell; another is, and that's his plague.

Hell, Marriage, Married, Plague, Wedding

Out of too much learning become mad.

Become, Learning, Mad, Too Much

We want to be known for having original ideas, inspired hunches, and gut feelings that make a difference. Indeed, a "well-honed sixth sense"' is considered a measure of the good clinician. But being a good doctor also requires sticking with the best medical evidence, even if it contradicts your personal experience. We need to distinguish between gut feeling and testable knowledge, between hunches and empirically tested evidence.

Differences, Doctors, Ideas, Medical, Personal, Tested

Naught so sweet as melancholy.

Melancholy, Misery, Naught, Sadness, Sweet

Good science requires distinguishing between "felt knowledge" and knowledge arising out of testable observations. "I am sure" is a mental sensation, not a testable conclusion. Put hunches, gut feelings, and intuitions into the suggestion box. Let empiric methods shake out the good from bad suggestions.

Box, Feelings, Good, Humility, Intuition, Mental

Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion.

Devotion, Ignorance, Mother, Religion

Every schoolboy hath that famous testament of Grunnius Corocotta Porcellus at his fingers end.

Ends, Fame, Famous, Fingers, Hath, Porcellus

Employment, which Galen calls 'Nature's Physician,' is so essential to human happiness that indolence is justly considered as the mother of misery.

Essential, Galen, Mother, Nature, Science