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There is nothing so absurd that it cannot be believed as truth if repeated often enough.

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
Nothing
Repeated
Enough
Absurd
Believed
Belief
Often
Science
Cannot
Truth

More quotes by William James

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So with the man who has daily inured himself to habits of concentrated attention, energetic volition, and self-denial in unnecessary things. He will stand like a tower when everything rocks around him, and when his softer fellow-mortals are winnowed like chaff in the blast.
William James
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The ideas gained by men before they are twenty-five are practically the only ideas they shall have in their lives.
William James
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If WE claim only reasonable probability, it will be as much as men who love the truth can ever at any given moment hope to have within their grasp.
William James
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The education of attention would be an education par excellence
William James
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There is an organic affinity between joyousness and tenderness.
William James
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Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.
William James
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... if we take the universe of 'fitting,' countless coats 'fit' backs, and countless boots 'fit' feet, on which they are not practically fitted countless stones 'fit' gaps in walls into which no one seeks to fit them actually. In the same way countless opinions 'fit' realities, and countless truths are valid, tho no thinker ever thinks them.
William James
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To be radical, an empiricism must neither admit into its constructions any element that is not directly experienced, nor exclude from them any element that is directly experienced.
William James
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Our intelligence cannot wall itself up alive, like a pupa in a chrysalis. It must at any cost keep on speaking terms with the universe that engendered it.
William James
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The first thing to learn in intercourse with others is non-interference with their own particular ways of being happy, provided those ways do not assume to interfere by violence with ours.
William James
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With mere good intentions hell is proverbially paved.
William James
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We must make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can...in the acquisition of a new habit, we must take car to launch ourselves with as strong and decided initiative as possible. Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life.
William James
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We hear in these days of scientific enlightenment a great deal of discussion about the efficacy of Prayer. Many reasons are given why we should not pray. Others give reasons why we should pray. Very little is said of the reason we do pray. The reason is simple: We pray because we cannot help praying.
William James
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It is art that makes life, and I know of no substitute whatsoever for the force and beauty of its process.
William James
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The soul is stronger than its surroundings.
William James
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It is astonishing how many mental operations we can explain when we have once grasped the principles of association
William James
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The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
William James
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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
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Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being.
William James
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We are doomed to cling to a life even while we find it unendurable.
William James