William James on opposites
William James50 quotes“We never fully grasp the import of any true statement until we have a clear notion of what the opposite untrue statement would be.”
More from William James
A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him.
William JamesWilliam James Anything you may hold firmly in your imagination can be yours.
William JamesWilliam James In all primary school work the principle of multiple impressions is well recognized.
William JamesWilliam James 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 JamesWilliam James The education of attention would be an education par excellence
William JamesWilliam James The ultimate test of what a truth means is the conduct it dictates or inspires.
William JamesWilliam James An act has no ethical quality whatever unless it be chosen out of several all equally possible.
William JamesWilliam James It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all.
William JamesWilliam James One of the greatest discoveries of our time is that a man can alter the state of their life by altering the state of their mind.
William JamesWilliam James I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.
William JamesWilliam James The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.
William JamesWilliam James That which is most personal, is most interesting.
William JamesWilliam James The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
William JamesWilliam James The sovereign cure for worry is prayer.
William JamesWilliam James We forget that every good that is worth possessing must be paid for in strokes of daily effort.
William JamesWilliam James The lunatic’s visions of horror are all drawn from the material of daily fact.
William JamesWilliam James
Original quotes
From our community writers
We were dirt poor but we had each other. We didn’t need much to have a lot.
Brad NeatonBrad Neaton Always show kindness and love to others. Your words might be filling the empty places in someone else heart.
Alexander KandovAlexander Kandov One quick sip of your memory I let it slip, and I go on without you.
Emma SchippersEmma Schippers If the scars on my heart were visible to the naked eye, maybe you’d think twice about inflicting more.
Laura Natoli-KearneyLaura Natoli-Kearney I am getting better at forgetting you. I am slowly but steadily learning the art of forgetting you.
Juana GarciaJuana Garcia Paper and pen petrify me, for they pierce right through me, drawing deep blue blood, leaving me utterly cold.
Shreya JoshiShreya Joshi Spend time with people who get excited over even the smallest victories you earn.
Sonia SabnisSonia Sabnis I wonder if you were the poison or the antidote.
Ginnie BaleGinnie Bale
Meet the writers
More on opposites
One second you’re having the time of your life in front of all these people, and then you come backstage to the exact opposite – there’s only lukewarm carrots back there.
Babatunde AdebimpeBabatunde Adebimpe The only thing of weight that can be said against modern honor is that it is directly opposite to religion. The one bids you bear injuries with patience, the other tells you if you don’t resent them, you are not fit to live.
Bernard de MandevilleBernard de Mandeville [My music] is opposite to fashion.
Benjamin ClementineBenjamin Clementine We’ve known each other [in Motorpsycho ] since 1985 or ’86, are really different as personalities, and yet have actually never disagreed to any degree. We are really complimentary as musicians and songwriters too, and come from two total opposites in our approaches.
Bent SaetherBent Saether I always seem to be cast as slightly wan, ethereal, troubled intellectuals or physically ambivalent bad lovers. But I’m here to tell you I’m quite the opposite in real life. In fact I’m a f**king fantastic lover.
Benedict CumberbatchBenedict Cumberbatch What we do in our group is the opposite of the bad effects of globalization. We produce in Italy and in France and we sell to China, when usually it’s the opposite.
Bernard ArnaultBernard Arnault Our band is very polarizing. There are people who absolutely can’t stand us, and people who absolutely can’t live without us. I’d rather spark those kind of polar-opposite feelings than have people be indifferent.
Ben GibbardBen Gibbard One time you told me that the opposite of love isn’t hate. And I didn’t understand that, but I think I do know. Because if you hate someone, you most still care, right? You have to care a little bit; otherwise you would just ignore them and forget they even live. Or lived.
Barry LygaBarry Lyga
