Quote

To be fertile in hypotheses is the first perquisite of creativity and to be willing to throw them away the moment experience contradicts them is the next.

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
First
Creativity
Willing
Moment
Experience
Contradicts
Away
Hypotheses
Next
Fertile
Moments
Hypothesis
Firsts
Throw

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The unrest which keeps the never stopping clock of metaphysics going is the thought that the nonexistence of this world is just as possible as its existence.
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The word 'cause' is an altar to an unknown god.
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Where quality is the thing sought after, the thing of supreme quality is cheap, whatever the price one has to pay for it.
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You make a great, very great mistake, if you think that psychology, being the science of the mind's laws, is something from which you can deduce definite programmes and schemes and methods of instruction for immediate schoolroom use.
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Is life worth living? It all depends on the liver.
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Do something everyday for no other reason than you would rather not do it, so that when the hour of dire need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained to stand the test.
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With no attempt there can be no failure with no failure no humiliation.
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There is nothing so absurd that it cannot be believed as truth if repeated often enough.
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Life feels like a real fight - as if there were something really wild in the universe which we, with all our idealities and faithfulnesses, are needed to redeem.
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As long as there are postmen, life will have zest.
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The discovery of the power of our thoughts will prove to be the most important discovery of our time
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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.
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If any organism fails to fulfill its potentialities, it becomes sick.
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It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
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The greatest empiricists among us are only empiricists on reflection: when left to their instincts, they dogmatize like infallible popes.
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For I had often said that the best argument I knew for an immortal life was the existence of a man who deserved one as well as Child did.
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We with our lives are like islands in the sea... The islands also hang together through the ocean's bottom.
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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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The university most worthy of rational admiration is that one in which your lonely thinker can feel himself lonely, most positively furthered, and most richly fed
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New habits can be launched.
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