William James Quotes

• The best argument I know for an immortal life is the existence of a man who deserves one.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Immortal, Argument

• The aim of a college education is to teach you to know a good man when you see one.

  William James

  Topics in College

  Tags in Good Man, Teach

• Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.

  William James

  Topics in Positive

  Tags in Successful, Accomplished

• ‘Pure experience’ is the name I gave to the immediate flux of life which furnishes the material to our later reflection with its conceptual categories.

  William James

  Topics in Experience

  Tags in Flux

• Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.

  William James

  Tags in Optimism, Pessimism

• Our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different.

  William James

  Tags in Parted, Screens

• Our faith is faith in someone else’s faith, and in the greatest matters this is most the case.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Case, Matters

• Our esteem for facts has not neutralized in us all religiousness. It is itself almost religious. Our scientific temper is devout.

  William James

  Tags in Almost, Neutralized

• Our errors are surely not such awfully solemn things. In a world where we are so certain to incur them in spite of all our caution, a certain lightness of heart seems healthier than this excessive nervousness on their behalf.

  William James

  Tags in Incur, Lightness

• One hearty laugh together will bring enemies into a closer communion of heart than hours spent on both sides in inward wrestling with the mental demon of uncharitable feeling.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Uncharitable, Enemies

• Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Fatiguing

• No matter how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess, and no matter how good one’s sentiments may be, if one has not taken advantage of every concrete opportunity to act, one’s character may remain entirely unaffected for the better.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Act, Every

• Metaphysics means nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly.

  William James

  Topics in Truth

  Tags in Obstinate, Unusually, Science

• Man lives for science as well as bread.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in School, Well

• Man can alter his life by altering his thinking.

  William James

  Tags in Altering, Alter

• Let everything you do be done as if it makes a difference.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Done, Everything

• Knowledge about life is one thing; effective occupation of a place in life, with its dynamic currents passing through your being, is another.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Currents, Passing

• It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.

  William James

  Tags in Successful, Affect

• It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all. And often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the result come true.

  William James

  Topics in Risk

  Tags in Hour, Inspiration

• Is life worth living? It all depends on the liver.

  William James

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Liver, Depends

William James (125)

Birth:	11th January, 1842
Death:	26th August, 1910
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Philosopher, Psychologist

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