Quote

Belief creates the actual fact.

William James

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

William James
Age: 68 †
Born: 1842
Born: January 11
Died: 1910
Died: August 26
Philosopher
Physician
Psychologist
University Teacher
W. James
Belief
Fact
Inspirational
Facts
Uplifting
Actual
Creates
Philosophical

More quotes by William James

Image
There is an organic affinity between joyousness and tenderness.
William James
Image
Man lives by habits indeed, but what he lives for is thrill and excitements. ... From time immemorial war has been ... the supremely thrilling excitement.
William James
Image
...These healers...my intellect has been unable to assimilate their theories....But their facts are patent and startling and anything that interferes with the multiplication of such facts, and with our freest opportunity of observing and studying them, will, I believe, be a public calamity.
William James
Image
A new opinion counts as true just in proportion as it gratifies the individual's desire to assimilate the novel in his experience to his beliefs in stock
William James
Image
I don't sing because I'm happy I'm happy because I sing.
William James
Image
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
Image
Our minds thus grow in spots and like grease-spots, the spots spread. But we let them spread as little as possible: we keep unaltered as much of our old knowledge, as many of our old prejudices and beliefs, as we can. We patch and tinker more than we renew. The novelty soaks in it stains the ancient mass but it is also tinged by what absorbs it.
William James
Image
The power to move the world is in the subconcious mind
William James
Image
The world is all the richer for having a devil in it, so long as we keep our foot upon his neck.
William James
Image
Do something everyday for no other reason than you would rather not do it, so that when the hour of dire need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained to stand the test.
William James
Image
Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity.
William James
Image
We must not just patch and tinker with life. We must keep renewing it. Embrace novelty and uniqueness.
William James
Image
To be a real philosopher all that is necessary is to hate some one else's type of thinking.
William James
Image
Compared to what we ought to be, we are half awake.
William James
Image
The one who thinks over his experiences most, and weaves them into systematic relations with each other, will be the one with the best memory.
William James
Image
Pragmatism asks its usual question. Grant an idea or belief to be true, it says, what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone's actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth's cash-value in experiential terms?
William James
Image
Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.
William James
Image
It is so human a book that I don't see how belief in its divine authority can survive the reading of it.
William James
Image
We have nothing to do but to receive, resting absolutely upon the merit, power, and love of our Redeemer.
William James
Image
Emotional occasions, especially violent ones, are extremely potent in precipitating mental rearrangements. The sudden and explosive ways in which love, jealousy, guilt, fear, remorse, or anger can seize upon one are known to everybody. . . . And emotions that come in this explosive way seldom leave things as they found them.
William James