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There is but one unconditional commandment … to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.

William James

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

Believe Men Needs
The difference between objective and subjective extension is one of relation to a context solely.
WILLIAM JAMES

Differences Extensions Relation
The ideas gained by men before they are twenty-five are practically the only ideas they shall have in their lives.
WILLIAM JAMES

Ideas Men Twenties
Our view of the world is truly shaped by what we decide to hear.
WILLIAM JAMES

Decide Shaped Views World
Pretend what we may, the whole man within us is at work when we form our philosophical opinions.
WILLIAM JAMES

Men Philosophical Philosophy
Pure experience’ is the name I gave to the immediate flux of life which furnishes the material to our later reflection with its conceptual categories.
WILLIAM JAMES

Flux Names Reflection
Religious awe is the same organic thrill which we feel in a forest at twilight, or in a mountain gorge.
WILLIAM JAMES

Mountain Religious Twilight
The lunatic’s visions of horror are all drawn from the material of daily fact.
WILLIAM JAMES

Facts Insanity Vision
Since you make evil or good by your own thoughts, it is your ruling of your thoughts which proves to be your principal concern.
WILLIAM JAMES

Evil Prove Ruling
I am well aware how odd it must seem to some of you to hear me say that an idea is true so long as to believe it is profitable to our lives
WILLIAM JAMES

Believe Ideas Truth
At bottom, the whole concern of religion is with the manner of our acceptance of the universe.
WILLIAM JAMES

Acceptance Wisdom Wise
The greatest weapon we have to combat stress is the ability to choose our thoughts.
WILLIAM JAMES

Combat Stress Weapons
What would be better for us to believe!’ This sounds very like a definition of truth
WILLIAM JAMES

Believe Sound Truth
All natural happiness thus seems infected with a contradiction. The breath of the sepulchre surrounds it.
WILLIAM JAMES

Contradiction Happiness Natural
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
WILLIAM JAMES

Inspirational Motivational Relationship
Genius… means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.
WILLIAM JAMES

Creativity Mean Science
Footnotes — little dogs yapping at the heels of the text
WILLIAM JAMES

Dog Littles Writing
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
WILLIAM JAMES

Inspirational Motivational Positive
Experience, as we know, has a way of boiling over, and making us correct our present formulas.
WILLIAM JAMES

Boiling Experience Over Way
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
The mind, in short, works on the data it receives very much as the sculptor works on his block of stone.
WILLIAM JAMES

Block Data Mind
Faith is synonymous with working hypothesis.
WILLIAM JAMES

Faith Hypothesis
No one sees further into a generalization than his own knowledge of detail extends.
WILLIAM JAMES

Details Generalization Knowledge
Our beliefs are really rules for action.
WILLIAM JAMES

Action Belief Really Rules
The education of attention would be an education par excellence
WILLIAM JAMES

Attention Education Excellence
Earnestness means willingness to live with energy, though energy bring pain.
WILLIAM JAMES

Energy Mean Pain
To give up pretensions is as blessed a relief as to get them ratified.
WILLIAM JAMES

Blessed Deception Giving Up

There is but one unconditional commandment … to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.

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There is but one unconditional commandment … to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.

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Popular Authors

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