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William James

(33 quotes)

William James

William James (New York January 11, 1842 - Chocorua NH August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who was also trained as a physician. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James was one of the leading thinkers of the late nineteenth century and is believed by many to be one of the most influential philosophers the United States has ever produced, while others have labelled him the "Father of American psychology". Along with Charles Sanders Pierce and John Dewey, he is considered to be one of the major figures associated with the philosophical school known as pragmatism, and is also cited as one of the founders of the functional psychology. William was the son of Henry James Sr. and older brother of the famous American writer Henry James.

Tuesday Jun 7, 2022

William James: Care about a result

If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.

Wednesday Apr 27, 2022

William James: Your Success

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.

Monday Dec 27, 2021

William James: Your Life

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

Tuesday Sep 21, 2021

William James: Life

Is life worth living?

It all depends on the liver.

Wednesday Sep 8, 2021

William James: Your Attitude

Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.

Wednesday Aug 25, 2021

William James: Keep Singing

I don't sing because I'm happy;

I'm happy because I sing.

Thursday Aug 12, 2021

William James: Listen to the background of your mind and act

In the dim background of mind we know what we ought to be doing but somehow we cannot start.

Wednesday Jun 23, 2021

William James: Action and feeling

Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not.

Tuesday Apr 27, 2021

William James: You can make a difference

Act as if what you do makes a difference.

It does.

Friday Feb 12, 2021

William James: Great Use of Life

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.

Thursday Feb 4, 2021

William James: Laugh!

We don't laugh because we're happy -

We're happy because we laugh.

Wednesday Nov 18, 2020

William James: Our attitude is important

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

Tuesday Sep 15, 2020

William James: How to see the world differently

To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds.

Thursday Jun 18, 2020

William James: Life is worth living

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

Wednesday Apr 22, 2020

William James: our greatest weapon against stress

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

Thursday Mar 19, 2020

William James: Whenever two people meet

Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is.

Wednesday Jan 29, 2020

William James: Your attitude of mind

Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.

Tuesday Dec 3, 2019

William James: Changing your mind

If you can change your mind,
you can change your life.

Monday Nov 11, 2019

William James: You can change your life

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.

Monday Aug 26, 2019

William James: Acceptance

Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.

Friday Aug 23, 2019

William James: Don`believe everything

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

Tuesday Jul 2, 2019

William James: Be optimistic

Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.

Friday Jun 7, 2019

William James: We are like islands in the sea

We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.

Friday May 24, 2019

William James: The art of being wise

The art of being wise is the ability to know what should be ignored.

Monday Mar 11, 2019

William James: Do you live on another planet?

If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system.

Wednesday Feb 27, 2019

William James: Break your limits

Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts which he habitually fails to use.

Thursday Sep 14, 2017

William James: Thinking

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

Monday May 8, 2017

William James: Procrastination

Procrastination is attitude's natural assassin. There's nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task.

Tuesday Jun 30, 2015

William James: Together laughing heartly

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.

Monday Nov 17, 2014

William James: To be

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.

Monday Oct 13, 2014

William James: Normal and abnormal

To study the abnormal is the best way of understanding the normal.

Monday Oct 28, 2013

William James: The Truth

Truth is what works.

Friday Oct 11, 2013

William James: Happiness and Action

Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness without action.