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

William James

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William James
Age: 68 †
Born: 1842
Born: January 11
Died: 1910
Died: August 26
Philosopher
Physician
Psychologist
University Teacher
W. James
Wrong
Upon
Atheistic
Religion
Insufficient
Everyone
Rationality
Government
Philosophical
Anything
Everywhere
Believe
Atheism
Always
Evidence

More quotes by William James

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Lay plans as if we were to be immortal.
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The stream of thought flows on but most of its segments fall into the bottomless abyss of oblivion. Of some, no memory survives the instant of their passage. Of others, it is confined to a few moments, hours or days. Others, again, leave vestiges which are indestructible, and by means of which they may be recalled as long as life endures.
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The thinker philosophizes as the lover loves. Even were the consequences not only useless but harmful, he must obey his impulse.
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What a teacher needs to know about psychology might almost be written on the palm of one's hand.
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We are proud of a human nature that could be so passionately extreme, but we shrink from advising others to follow the example.
William James
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Truths emerge from facts, but they dip forward into facts again and add to them which facts again create or reveal new truth (the word is indifferent) and so on indefinitely. The 'facts' themselves meanwhile are not true. They simply are. Truth is the function of the beliefs that start and terminate among them.
William James
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As long as there are postmen, life will have zest.
William James
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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
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The most natively interesting object to a man is his own personal self and its fortunes. We accordingly see that the moment a thing becomes connected with the fortunes of the self, it forthwith becomes an interesting thing.
William James
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[Pragmatism's] only test of probable truth is what works best in the way of leading us, what fits every part of life best and combines with the collectivity of experience's demands, nothing being omitted.
William James
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The greatest weapon we have to combat stress is the ability to choose our thoughts.
William James
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There are 3 rules to follow if you want to change (1) Start immediately, (2) Do it flamboyantly, (3) No exceptions.
William James
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I wished by treating Psychology like a natural science, to help her become one.
William James
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The most any one can do is to confess as candidly as he can the grounds for the faith that is in him, and leave his example to work on others as it may.
William James
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Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
William James
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Anything you may hold firmly in your imagination can be yours.
William James
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To kill time is not murder, it's suicide.
William James
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The most peculiar social self which one is apt to have is in the mind of the person one is in love with.
William James
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If you can change your mind, you can change your life.
William James
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The attitude of unhappiness is not only painful, it is mean and ugly.
William James