William James (1842-1910) was an important philosopher and psychologist who, along with Charles Sanders Peirce founded the philosophical school of pragmatism, which maintains that the meaning of an idea must be sought in its practical effects, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth must be tested by the practical consequences of belief.
1. Our worldview is shaped by what we decide to listen to
We interpret the world based on our knowledge and our beliefs.
2. We are ready to be wild for some reason. The difference between a good man and a bad man is the choice of cause
People can choose between being good or bad, depending on what is or is not socially accepted.
3. An idea, to be suggestive, must reach the individual in the form of a revelation
The ideas that we value most are those that give us something.
4. Believe that life is worth living and that belief will help create the fact
The attitude we have towards life makes us act in a certain way.
5. It is our attitude at the beginning of something difficult, more than anything else, that will affect a successful outcome.
Like the quote above, a positive attitude will help us behave positively.
6. Is life worth living? It all depends on the lifer
It is up to us to live life to the fullest or live stuck in the past.
7. It seems that action is followed by emotion, but in reality action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the control of the will, we can directly regulate the emotion
William James was always interested in providing knowledge about why and how human beings experience emotions.
8. Studying the abnormal is the best way to understand the normal
A play on words that hides a very meaningful idea.
9. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook
Sometimes we have to put aside some things to continue on our path.
21. The greatest thing in all education is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy
A phrase from William James that invites deep reflection.
22. Common sense and a sense of humor are the same although moving at different speeds. Common sense is like a sense of humor but dancing
A reflection that has a certain touch of irony.
23. If you can change your mind you can change your life
To change, it is necessary to first transform the way of thinking.
24. Start being now what you will be from now on
To transform your life, you must first change your mind.
25. The community stagnates without the drive of the individual. Momentum dies without community sympathy
People are social beings and, therefore, better united.
26. Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcome the consequences of any misfortune
Acceptance is key to continue moving forward.
27. If an organism fails to fulfill its potential, it becomes sick.
Personal development and self-realization of people are key to enjoying greater satisfaction in life.
28. The deepest principle of human nature is the longing to be appreciated
People are social beings and we like to be respected and appreciated.
29. Whenever you are in a conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging the relationship or strengthening it. That factor is attitude
Attitude is also important in interpersonal relationships.
30. When you have to make a decision and you don’t make it, it is in itself a decision
Even if you don’t decide on something, you have made the decision not to decide.
31. Deep in our minds we know what we should be doing but somehow we can’t get started.
Sometimes it happens that we think about changing but do not take action.
32. The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another
Stress often has its origin in our beliefs.
33. As a general rule, we do not believe in facts and theories for which we are not prepared
We normally believe those things that best fit our knowledge and beliefs.
34. I don’t sing because I’m happy, I’m happy because I sing
The mind greatly influences our body and our actions.
35. The best argument I know for an immortal life is the existence of a man who deserves it
A phrase full of meaning and that makes the reader think deeply.
36. Act as if what you do makes a difference. He does it
Attitude is the key to success or not.
37. Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power
The way we think has a great impact on our behavior.
38. Genius means little more than the power to perceive in an unusual way
Geniuses are people with rare intelligence.
39. If you want a quality, act as if you already have it
Better to believe yourself good and act with confidence than to believe yourself bad and act with pessimism.
40. Everyone should do at least two things they hate a day, just for practice.
A phrase that has a certain sense of humor but is very true.
41. A paradise of inner tranquility seems to be the result of faith
With faith we pursue being at peace with ourselves.
42. The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that lasts longer than it
When we enjoy doing something we like, time passes and it doesn’t seem to move forward.
40. The ideas obtained by man before the age of twenty-five are practically the only ideas they will be able to have in their lives.
Meaning that at that age a person thinks with the heart and not with the mind.
41. The most immovable barrier in nature is the one between the thought of one man and that of another
The differences in opinions between two people are often insurmountable.
42. Success or failure depends more on attitude than ability. Successful men act as if they have achieved something or enjoy something. Act, look, feel, as if you were successful and you will see impressive results.
Our thoughts can act as limiting or empowering beliefs.
43. Compared to what we should, we are half awake
William James always had great reflections like this quote.
44. Wherever you are from, it is your own friends who make your world
Friendships are a big part of our lives, and they accompany us throughout our existence.
45. If you think that feeling bad or worrying will change the past or the future, you are living on another planet with a different reality.
It’s no use thinking about the past over and over again, it’s best to turn the page.
46. For most of us, over thirty, character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.
As the years go by, it becomes more difficult to change.
47. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let go of the past, expand our sense of now, and dissolve fear from our minds.
To change, it is necessary to be open to change and have an open mind.
48. To be a real philosopher, all that is necessary is to hate someone else’s way of thinking.
Disagreeing with the opinion of others can make us reflect deeply.
49. Each way of classifying a thing is just a way of handling it for a certain particular purpose.
A quote that is about how people can have prejudices.
50. Whenever two people meet, there are six people present. How each person sees themselves, how one person sees the other, and how each person really is.
A funny quote that refers to how people see ourselves and how others see us.
51. As a rule we do not believe in facts and theories for which we have no use
A theory doesn’t make much sense if it is not useful and applicable.
52. A sense of humor is a philosophical state of mind; seems to say to nature that we do not take it more seriously than it takes us
Again, another somewhat joking quote about taking life seriously.
53. Life only has meaning if we give it meaning
There is no point in living life if we are constantly sad.
54. It is not easy to choose the path in the face of so many choices.
William James reminds us that sometimes it can be difficult for us to make a choice about where we want to shoot.
55. Believe that life is worth living and that belief will help create the fact
Almost always, when we believe in our possibilities, we can achieve what we want.
56. We are like islands in the sea, separated from the surface but connected in depth
A comparison of the islands with the way of people.
57. If we consider the world of geometric relationships, the thousandth decimal of Pi sleeps there, although no one ever tries to calculate it
A quote about the number Pi and geometric relationships. When something worries you, it is common for you to take action to solve it.
58. The voluntary and sovereign path to joy, if we lose joy, consists of proceeding with joy, acting and speaking with joy, as if that joy were already with us
We have no better choice than to face life with a positive attitude.
59. The uncalculated decimals of pi sleep in a mysterious abstract realm, where they enjoy a faint reality, until they are calculated, they become fully real, and even then their reality is a mere matter of degree.
The truth is not absolute, but people can have different points of view.
60. If you are worried enough about an outcome, you will probably do something to fix it.
Negative thinking can be useful in many circumstances.
