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There is an organic affinity between joyousness and tenderness.

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
Affinity
Companionship
Organic
Tenderness
Joyousness

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Do every day or two something for no other reason than its difficulty.
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Metaphysics means nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly.
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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.
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The war-function has grasped us so far but the constructive interests may some day seem no less imperative, and impose on the individual a hardly lighter burden.
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Religion is a monumental chapter in the history of human egotism.
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The history of philosophy is to a great extent that of a certain clash of human temperaments.
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All natural happiness thus seems infected with a contradiction. The breath of the sepulchre surrounds it.
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The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world by habitually fashioned our characters in the wrong way.
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The sovereign cure for worry is prayer.
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How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure.
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Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do
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Every time a resolve or a fine glow of feeling evaporates without bearing practical fruit is worse than a chance lost it works so as positively to hinder future resolutions and emotions from taking the normal path of discharge.
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There is but one unconditional commandment ... to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.
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In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who has spoken to us, trying to make the next step in our reasoning. But somehow we cannot start.
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Any object not interesting in itself may become interesting through becoming associated with an object in which an interest already exists.
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Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habits, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state.
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Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.
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Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
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We are not only gregarious animals, liking to be in sight of our fellows, but we have an innate propensity to get ourselves noticed, and noticed favorably, by our kind.
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Divinity lies all around us, but society remains too hidebound to accept that fact...The mother sea and the fountain-head of all religions lies in the mystical experiences of the individual.
William James