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Quote by William James

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William James
William James

William James, born on January 11, 1842, and died on August 26, 1910, was an influential American philosopher, psychologist, and writer. He is considered one of the founders of functionalism in psychology and has had a profound impact on the fields of psychology, philosophy, and religion. more

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“Belief is desecrated when given to unproved and unquestioned statements for the solace and private pleasure of the believer . . . It is wrong always, everywhere, and for every one, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”

BelieveBeliefGivenPleasureEvidenceBelieverStatementsSolaceInsufficient
Book:The Will to Believe: And Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, and Human Immortality
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“You say, "Where goest Thou?" I cannot tell, And still go on. But if the way be straight I cannot go amiss: before me lies Dawn and the day: the night behind me: that Suffices me: I break the bounds: I see, And nothing more; believe and nothing less. My future is not one of my concerns.”

IfsWayBelieveStillsLyingNightBeliefBehindsBreakGoes OnConcernBoundsDawnMy Future
Book:Poems (Volume 2 of 2 ) (EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition)
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“We must believe that "emotion recollected in tranquillity" is an inexact formula. For it is neither emotion, nor recollection, nor without distortion of meaning, tranquillity. It is a concentration, and a new thing resulting from the concentration of a very great number of experiences which to the practical and active person would not seem to be experiences at all; it is a concentration which does not happen consciously or of deliberation. These experiences are not "recollected" and they finally unite in an atmosphere which is "tranquil" only in that it is a passive attending upon the event.”

BelievePersonsDoeSeemsHappensBeliefNumbersEmotionEventsActivePracticalsAtmosphereConcentrationFormulasNew ThingsPassiveRecollectionDistortionTranquilAttendingDeliberationTranquillity
Author:T. S. Eliot
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“I am glad I am an optimist. The pessimist is half-licked before he starts. The optimist has won half the battle, the most important half that applies to himself, when he begins his approach to a subject with the proper mental attitude. The optimist may not understand, or if he understands he may not agree with, prevailing ideas; but he believes, yes, knows, that in the long run and in due course there will prevail whatever is right and best.”

IfsKnowsBelieveMayLongImportantIdeasRunningCoursesBeliefHalfAttitudeSubjectsBattleApproachAgreeDuesGladAgreementLong RunsOptimistPessimistPrevailingMental Attitude
Author:Thomas Buckner
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“I'm not a Luddite completely; I believe in refrigerators to cool my martinis, and washing machines because I hate to see women smacking their laundry against a rock. When I hear about hardware, I think of pots and pans, and when I hear about software, I think of sheets and towels.”

ThinkingBelieveArtHateBeliefI BelieveRocksMachinesI HateI Believe InPotSoftwareSheetsWashingLaundryRefrigeratorsHardwareTowelsMartiniWashing MachinesPots And Pans
Author:Studs Terkel
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“. . . when the nature of mind is introduced by a master, it is just too simple for us to believe. Our ordinary mind tells us this cannot be, there must be something more to it than this. It must surely be more "glorious", with light blazing in space around us, angels with flowing golden hair swooping down to meet us, and a deep Wizard of Oz voice announcing, "Now you have been introduced to the nature of your mind." There is no such drama.”

MindBelieveHas BeensLightBeliefVoiceSimpleSpaceMastersHairDramaOrdinaryAngelGoldenGloriousWizardsBlazingAnnouncingGolden Hair
Author:Sogyal Rinpoche
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