Quote

If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it. Only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly.

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
Must
Result
Really
Certainly
Things
Hundred
Time
Results
Almost
Incompatible
Wish
Exclusively
Care
Attain
Enough
Strongly

More quotes by William James

Image
Our beliefs and our attention are the same fact.
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
For morality life is a war, and the service of the highest is a sort of cosmic patriotism which also calls for volunteers.
William James
Image
Truth lives, in fact, for the most part on a credit system
William James
Image
All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits.
William James
Image
The history of philosophy is to a great extent that of a certain clash of human temperaments.
William James
Image
I know that you, ladies and gentlemen, have a philosophy, each and all of you, and that the most interesting and important thing about you is the way in which it determines the perspective in your several worlds.
William James
Image
There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.
William James
Image
Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity.
William James
Image
Faith is synonymous with working hypothesis.
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
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.
William James
Image
Truth is what will be steadily borne out by subsequent experience
William James
Image
If the grace of God miraculously operates, it probably operates through the subliminal door.
William James
Image
Those thoughts are truth which guide us to beneficial interaction with sensible particulars as they occur, whether they copy these in advance or not.
William James
Image
Religion, whatever it is, is a man's total reaction upon life.
William James
Image
A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last.
William James
Image
As the brain-changes are continuous, so do all these consciousnesses melt into each other like dissolving views. Properly they are but one protracted consciousness, one unbroken stream.
William James
Image
Since belief is measured by action, he who forbids us to believe religion to be true, necessarily also forbids us to act as we should if we did believe it to be true.
William James
Image
But facts are facts, and if we only get enough of them theyare sure to combine.
William James