Wisdom Quote by William James — Inspiring Words on Life, Love & Wisdom

“See the exquisite contrast of the types of mind! The pragmatist clings to facts and concreteness, observes truth at its work in particular cases, and generalises. Truth, for him, becomes a class-name for all sorts of definite working-values in experience. For the rationalist it remains a pure abstraction, to the bare name of which we must defer. When the pragmatist undertakes to show in detail just why we must defer, the rationalist is unable to recognise the concretes from which his own abstraction is taken. He accuses us of denying truth; whereas we have only sought to trace exactly why people follow it and always ought to follow it. Your typical ultra-abstractions fairly shudders at concreteness: other things equal, he positively prefers the pale and spectral. If the two universes were offered, he would always choose the skinny outline rather than the rich thicket of reality. It is so much purer, clearer, nobler.”

“Good-humor is a philosophic state of mind; it seems to say to Nature that we take her no more seriously than she takes us. I maintain that one should always talk of philosophy with a smile.”

“The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be.”

“The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.”

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

“If you try to save wisdom until the world is wise, Father, the world will never have it.”

“القوة الجديدة التي يخلقها "العلم" تكون خيّرة بقدر الحكمة التي يتميز بها الإنسان ، وتكون شريرة بقدر ما في الإنسان من حمق !”

“Ihr redet, wenn ihr aufhört mit euren Gedanken in Frieden zu sein.”

“Silence does not ask permission to rule; it simply occupies the throne that the word has left vacant out of fear of the truth.”

“Gifts become curses when they’re not given their due respect.”

“Haste is from the Devil.”