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Intellectualism' is the belief that our mind comes upon a world complete in itself, and has the duty of ascertaining its contents but has no power of re-determining its character, for that is already given.

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
Comes
Intellectualism
Given
Contents
Power
Determining
Character
Complete
Mind
Duty
World
Already
Belief
Upon
Ascertaining

More quotes by 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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Selection is the very keel on which our mental ship is built. And in this case of memory its utility is obvious. If we remembered everything, we should on most occasions be as ill off as if we remembered nothing.
William James
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Give up the feeling of responsibility, let go your hold, resign the care of your destiny to higher powers, be genuinely indifferent as to what becomes of it all and you will find not only that you gain a perfect inward relief, but often also, in addition, the particular goods you sincerely thought you were renouncing.
William James
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The attitude of unhappiness is not only painful, it is mean and ugly.
William James
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Between what a man calls me and what he simply calls mine the line is difficult to draw. We feel and act about certain things that are ours very much as we feel and act about ourselves.
William James
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To leap across an abyss, one is better served by faith than doubt.
William James
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Habit is a second nature, or rather, it is 'ten times nature'.
William James
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Our esteem for facts has not neutralized in us all religiousness. It is itself almost religious. Our scientific temper is devout.
William James
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If any organism fails to fulfill its potentialities, it becomes sick.
William James
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Need and struggle are what excite and inspire us our hour of triumph is what brings the void.
William James
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Act in earnest and you will become earnest in all you do.
William James
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How pleasant is the day when we give up striving to be young-or slender.
William James
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Science as such assuredly has no authority, for she can only say what is, not what is not.
William James
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Our life is always deeper than we know, is always more divine than it seems, and hence we are able to survive degradations and despairs which otherwise must engulf us.
William James
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The emotions aren't always immediately subject to reason, but they are always immediately subject to action.
William James
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It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.
William James
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The mind, in short, works on the data it receives very much as the sculptor works on his block of stone.
William James
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If evolution and the survival of the fittest be true at all, the destruction of prey and of human rivals must have been among the most important. . . . It is just because human bloodthirstiness is such a primitive part of us that it is so hard to eradicate, especially when a fight or a hunt is promised as part of the fun.
William James
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We want all our friends to tell us our bad qualities it is only the particular ass that does so whom we can't tolerate.
William James
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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