I believe there is no source of deception in the investigation of nature which can compare with a fixed belief that certain kinds of phenomena are IMPOSSIBLE.

William James

Categorized in : Believe Science Deception

As we take, in fact, a general view of the wonderful stream of our consciousness, what strikes us first is this different pace of its parts. Like a bird 's life, it seems to be made of an alternation of flights and perchings.

different views bird

Truth is something that happens to an idea. by William James

Truth is something that happens to an idea.

truth-is happens ideas

Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul None is more gladdening or fruitful than to know You can regenerate and make yourself what you will.

wisdom beautiful beauty

Emotional occasions, especially violent ones, are extremely potent in precipitating mental rearrangements. The sudden and explosive ways in which love, jealousy, guilt, fear, remorse, or anger can seize upon one are known to everybody. . . . And emotions that come in this explosive way seldom leave things as they found them.

jealousy emotional guilt

Everyone knows that on any given day there are energies slumbering in him which the incitement's of that day do not call forth. Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. The human individual usually lives far within his limits.

limits energy half

I myself believe that the evidence for God lies primarily in inne... by William James

I myself believe that the evidence for God lies primarily in inner personal experiences.

belief believe lying

Every time a resolve or a fine glow of feeling evaporates without bearing practical fruit is worse than a chance lost; it works to hinder future resolutions and emotions from taking the normal path of discharge. There is no more contemptible type of human character than that of the nerveless sentimentalist and dreamer, who spends his life in a weltering sea of sensibility and emotion, but who never does a manly concrete deed.

sea feelings character

Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the ener... by William James

Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.

perseverance basketball dream

For the moment, what we attend to is reality. by William James

For the moment, what we attend to is reality.

moments reality

There is a voice inside which speaks and says, "This is the real... by William James

There is a voice inside which speaks and says, "This is the real me!"

self-love voice real

A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who reco... by William James

A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him.

individual self men

We never fully grasp the import of any true statement until we have a clear notion of what the opposite untrue statement would be.

truth would-be opposites

Our minds thus grow in spots; and like grease-spots, the spots spread. But we let them spread as little as possible: we keep unaltered as much of our old knowledge, as many of our old prejudices and beliefs, as we can. We patch and tinker more than we renew. The novelty soaks in; it stains the ancient mass; but it is also tinged by what absorbs it.

grease mind history

The one who thinks over his experiences most, and weaves them into systematic relations with each other, will be the one with the best memory.

experience memories thinking

In the practical use of our intellect, forgetting is as important... by William James

In the practical use of our intellect, forgetting is as important as remembering.

learning education teacher

Truth happens to an idea by William James

Truth happens to an idea

truth happens ideas

If it works, it's true. by William James

If it works, it's true.

We don't laugh because we're happy - we're happy because we laugh... by William James

We don't laugh because we're happy - we're happy because we laugh.

laughter happiness laughing

The greatest discovery of the 20th Century is that our attitude of mind determines our quality of life, not circumstances.

elderly discovery attitude

Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be the larger part) always comes out of our own mind.

perceive mind may