Man can change his life simply by changing his attitude. William James More Quotes by William James More Quotes From William James 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 deceptionsciencebelieve When thoughts do not neutralize an undesirable emotion, action will. William James emotioninspirationaction There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference. William James degreesdifferencesdifferent Don't preach too much to your pupils or abound in good talk in the abstract. Lie in wait rather for the practical opportunities, be prompt to seize those as they pass, and thus at one operation get your pupils both to think, to feel, and to do. William James opportunitylyingthinking Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make very small use of their possible consciousness, and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using and moving only his little finger. William James inspirationallifemoving Faith means belief in something concerning which doubt is theoretically possible. William James philosophicalfaithbelieve Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are damped, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. William James failureusefire Our view of the world is truly shaped by what we decide to hear. William James viewsworld True is the name for whatever idea starts the verification process, useful is the name for its completed function in experience William James truthnamesideas Belief is desecrated when given to unproved and unquestioned statements for the solace and private pleasure of the believer . . . It is wrong always, everywhere, and for every one, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. William James pleasurebeliefbelieve A thing is important if anyone think it important. William James importantifsthinking Most men have a good memory for facts connected with their own pursuits. William James educationalphilosophymemories We may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all. William James catdogbook Human beings are born into this little span of life of which the best thing is its friendships and intimacies … and yet they leave their friendships and intimacies with no cultivation, to grow as they will by the roadside, expecting them to "keep" by force of mere inertia. William James littlesfriendshiplife If we remembered everything, we should on most occasions be as ill off as if we remembered nothing. It would take us as long to recall a space of time as it took the original time to elapse, and we should never get ahead with our thinking. All recollected times undergo, accordingly, what M. Ribot calls foreshortening; and this foreshortening is due to the omission of an enormous number of facts which filled them. William James spacenumbersthinking Let everything you do be done as if it makes a difference. William James making-a-differenceinsightfuldifferences Procrastination is attitude's natural assassin. There's nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task William James procrastinationtasksattitude All the higher, more penetrating ideals are revolutionary. They present themselves far less in the guise of effects of past experience than in that of probable causes of future experience, factors to which the environment and the lessons it has so far taught us must learn to bend. William James taught-ussciencepast The mind, in short, works on the data it receives very much as the sculptor works on his block of stone. William James datablockmind A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last. William James perseverancemotivationalmeaningful
