Quote

There is but one unconditional commandment ... to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.

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
Unconditional
Commandments
Total
Bring
Universe
Helping
Commandment
Good
Largest
Volunteer

More quotes by William James

Image
Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make very small use of their possible consciousness, and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using and moving only his little finger.
William James
Image
Man alone of all the creatures of earth can change his own pattern. Man alone is the architect of his own destiny.
William James
Image
'What would be better for us to believe!' This sounds very like a definition of truth
William James
Image
For the moment, what we attend to is reality.
William James
Image
You may not get everything you dream about, but you will never get anything you don't dream about.
William James
Image
Modern man . . . has not ceased to be credulous . . . the need to believe haunts him.
William James
Image
The God of many men is little more than their court of appeal against the damnatory judgment passed on their failures by the opinion of the world.
William James
Image
The instinct of ownership is fundamental in man's nature.
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
The attitude of unhappiness is not only painful, it is mean and ugly.
William James
Image
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
William James
Image
My thinking is first and last and always for the sake of my doing, and I can only do one thing at a time.
William James
Image
First... a new theory is attacked as absurd then it is admitted to be true, but obvious and insignificant finally it is seen to be so important that its adversaries claim that they themselves discovered it.
William James
Image
Earnestness means willingness to live with energy, though energy bring pain.
William James
Image
If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.
William James
Image
The true'to put it very briefly, is only the expedient in the way of our thinking, just as 'the right' is only the expedient in the way of our behaving.
William James
Image
As long as there are postmen, life will have zest.
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
We are thinking beings, and we cannot exclude the intellect from participating in any of our functions.
William James
Image
Formula to live your dream: 1. Be bold. 2. Begin now, 3. No exceptions.
William James