Quotessence
Home / Authors / James Hillman
James Hillman

James Hillman Quotes

Psychologist

Filter quotes by topic

AllSoulThinkingPeopleWayPsychologyWorldPersonsIdeasIfsMayNeedsCallingChildrenHumansKnowsParentRealizingTheoryWantCharacter

Famous James Hillman Quotes

“Your life is not predestined, as in Calvinist thought, where everything is written down in the book of life long before your birth and is inescapable. There are choices, accidents, hints and wrong paths, and the ego you, or whatever you call yourself, is a factor in all this. But there is still this other factor that keeps calling. At some moment, people turn, in despair or when they are unable to go any longer on a certain route, and this inner voice says, "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you to turn to me for a long time."”

PeopleLongStillsBookMomentsLife IsCertainTurnsChoicesWaitingVoicePathWrittenBirthCallingEgoDespairLong TimeAccidentsFactorsRoutesLong LifeHintsInner VoiceWaiting For YouPredestinedWrong PathBook Of Life
Author:James Hillman
Create image

“Suppose that throughout your childhood you were good with numbers. Other kids used to copy your homework. You figured store discounts faster than your parents. People came to you for help with such things. So you took accounting and eventually became a tax auditor for the IRS. What an embarrassing job, right? You feel you should be writing poetry or doing aviation mechanics or whatever. But then you realize that tax collecting can be a calling too.”

PeopleFeelsShouldWritingHelpingKidsJobsUsedParentRealizingNumbersChildhoodCallingTaxesStoresFasterYour ChildrenAviationCopiesEmbarrassingMechanicCollectingHomeworkAccountingIrsDiscountsWriting PoetryAuditors
Author:James Hillman
Create image

“I just read about John Le Carre, the great spy novelist. He had an absolutely miserable childhood. His mother deserted him when he was young. His father was a playboy and a drunk. He was shifted around to many different homes. He knew he was a writer when he was about nine, but he was dyslexic. So here was a person with an absolutely messed-up childhood and a symptom that prevented him from doing what he wanted to do most. Yet that very symptom was part of the calling. It forced him to go deeper.”

PersonsDifferentHomeWantedYoungMotherFatherChildhoodCallingDeeperNineDrunkMiserableNovelistsSymptomsSpyMessed UpPlayboyDesertedDyslexic
Author:James Hillman
Create image