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We may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all.

William James

Modern man . . . has not ceased to be credulous . . . the need to believe haunts him.
WILLIAM JAMES

Believe Men Needs
The total possible consciousness may be split into parts which co-exist but mutually ignore each other.
WILLIAM JAMES

Consciousness May Splits
The prevalent fear of poverty among the educated classes is the worst moral disease from which our civilization suffers.
WILLIAM JAMES

Civilization Class Fear
Wisdom is learning what to overlook.
WILLIAM JAMES

Learning Philosophical Wisdom
The ‘I think’ which Kant said must be able to accompany all my objects, is the ‘I breathe’ which actually does accompany them.
WILLIAM JAMES

Able Accompanying Thinking
Language is the most imperfect and expensive means yet discovered for communicating thought.
WILLIAM JAMES

Imperfect Language Mean
Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
WILLIAM JAMES

Encouraging Life Positive
The lunatic’s visions of horror are all drawn from the material of daily fact.
WILLIAM JAMES

Facts Insanity Vision
The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community.
WILLIAM JAMES

Community Friendship Sympathy
All of our life is but a mass of small habits – practical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual – that bear us irresistibly toward our destiny.
WILLIAM JAMES

Destiny Military Spiritual
At bottom, the whole concern of religion is with the manner of our acceptance of the universe.
WILLIAM JAMES

Acceptance Wisdom Wise
Democracy is still upon its trial. The civic genius of our people is its only bulwark.
WILLIAM JAMES

Democracy Genius People
To give up pretensions is as blessed a relief as to get them ratified.
WILLIAM JAMES

Blessed Deception Giving Up
Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct, and the same conduct may be determined either by feeling or by thought.
WILLIAM JAMES

Determine Feelings May
Truth happens to an idea
WILLIAM JAMES

Happens Ideas Truth
In the matter of belief, we are all extreme conservatives.
WILLIAM JAMES

Belief Extremes Matter

We may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all.

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We may be in the Universe as dogs and cats are in our libraries, seeing the books and hearing the conversation, but having no inkling of the meaning of it all.

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Popular Authors

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