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William James Quotes — 20 Quotes by William James

There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.

William James

Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.

William James · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 19

There is very little difference between one man and another; but what little there is, is very important.

William James · The source reads: “An unlearned carpenter of my acquaintance once said in my hearing: "There is very little difference between one man and another; but what little there is, is very important." This distinction seems to me to go to the root of the matter.” · The Will to Believe (1896), The Importance of Individuals, quoting an unlearned carpenter

The best way to define a man's character would be to seek out the particular mental or moral attitude in which, when it came upon him, he felt himself most deeply and intensely active and alive.

William James · The source reads: “I have often thought that the best way to define a man's character would be to seek out the particular mental or moral attitude in which, when it came upon him, he felt himself most deeply and intensely active and alive. At such moments there is a voice inside which speaks and says: "This is the real me!"” · Letter to his wife, Alice Gibbens James (1878)

History is a bath of blood.

William James · Memories and Studies (1910), The Moral Equivalent of War

No fact in human nature is more characteristic than its willingness to live on a chance.

William James · The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), postscript

In the deepest heart of all of us there is a corner in which the ultimate mystery of things works sadly.

William James · The Will to Believe (1896), Is Life Worth Living?

There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.

William James

Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events.

William James · The source reads: “Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events. Its verity is in fact an event, a process: the process namely of its verifying itself, its veri-fication. Its validity is the process of its valid-ation.” · Pragmatism (1907), lecture 6

Habit is the enormous flywheel of society, its most precious conservative agent.

William James · The source reads: “Habit is… the enormous flywheel of society, its most precious conservative agent. It alone is what keeps us all within the bounds of ordinance.” · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 4

The philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means.

William James · The source reads: “The philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos.” · Pragmatism (1907), lecture 1

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

William James

Where is it, this present? It has melted in our grasp, fled ere we could touch it, gone in the instant of becoming.

William James · The source reads: “Let anyone try, I will not say to arrest, but to notice or attend to, the present moment of time. One of the most baffling experiences occurs. Where is it, this present? It has melted in our grasp, fled ere we could touch it, gone in the instant of becoming.” · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 15

Religion is a man's total reaction upon life.

William James · The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), lecture 2

Like a bird's life, it seems to be made of an alternation of flights and perchings.

William James · The source reads: “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.” · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 9, of the stream of consciousness

This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it, from the moral point of view.

William James · The Will to Believe (1896), Is Life Worth Living?

The baby, assailed by eyes, ears, nose, skin, and entrails at once, feels it all as one great blooming, buzzing confusion.

William James · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 13

We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar.

William James · The source reads: “We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar.… Nothing we ever do is, in strict scientific literalness, wiped out.” · The Principles of Psychology (1890), ch. 4

The moral flabbiness born of the exclusive worship of the bitch-goddess SUCCESS.

William James · The source reads: “The moral flabbiness born of the exclusive worship of the bitch-goddess SUCCESS. That—with the squalid cash interpretation put on the word success—is our national disease.” · Letter to H. G. Wells (September 11, 1906)

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.

William James · The Will to Believe (1896), Is Life Worth Living?

William James Quotes

There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.

Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.

There is very little difference between one man and another; but what little there is, is very important.

The best way to define a man's character would be to seek out the particular mental or moral attitude in which, when it came upon him, he felt himself most deeply and intensely active and alive.

History is a bath of blood.

No fact in human nature is more characteristic than its willingness to live on a chance.

In the deepest heart of all of us there is a corner in which the ultimate mystery of things works sadly.

There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.

Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events.

Habit is the enormous flywheel of society, its most precious conservative agent.

The philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means.

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

Where is it, this present? It has melted in our grasp, fled ere we could touch it, gone in the instant of becoming.

Religion is a man's total reaction upon life.

Like a bird's life, it seems to be made of an alternation of flights and perchings.

This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it, from the moral point of view.

The baby, assailed by eyes, ears, nose, skin, and entrails at once, feels it all as one great blooming, buzzing confusion.

We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar.

The moral flabbiness born of the exclusive worship of the bitch-goddess SUCCESS.

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.

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