--- title: "4 First step Quotes By William James" description: "4 First step quotes by William James. Plus more from William James and more First step sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/william-james-228_abstract_we-may-answer-the-question-why-is-snow-w_906888.jpg" --- > [ We \[may\] answer the question: "Why is snow white?" by saying, "For the same reason that soap-suds or whipped eggs are white"-in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-may-answer-the-question-why-is-snow-white-by-saying-for-the-same/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca9/william-james-228_abstract_we-may-answer-the-question-why-is-snow-w_906888.jpg) > [Be willing to have it so. Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/be-willing-to-have-it-so-acceptance-of-what-has-happened-is-the-first/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd4/william-james-228_acceptance_be-willing-to-have-it-so-acceptance-of-w_1737468.png) > [If things are ever to move upward, some one must take the first step, and assume the risk of it. No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/if-things-are-ever-to-move-upward-some-one-must-take-the-first-step/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6d/william-james-228_assuming_if-things-are-ever-to-move-upward-some-o_2575712.png) > [Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/acceptance-of-what-has-happened-is-the-first-step-to-overcoming-the-2/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/william-james-228_acceptance_acceptance-of-what-has-happened-is-the-f_2916950.png) ## Other authors on First step - [Israelmore Ayivor 9 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/israelmore-ayivor/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b020/author-rajneesh-77002.jpg) Rajneesh 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/rajneesh/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-dranil-kr-sinha-102.jpg) DrAnil Kr Sinha 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/dranil-kr-sinha/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-denis-diderot-28621.jpg) Denis Diderot 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/denis-diderot/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b024/author-veronica-roth-93385.jpg) Veronica Roth 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/veronica-roth/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b022/author-seth-godin-84128.jpg) Seth Godin 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/seth-godin/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-ritu-ghatourey-5.jpg) Ritu Ghatourey 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/ritu-ghatourey/) - [Osho 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/osho/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-mark-cuban-64127.jpg) Mark Cuban 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/mark-cuban/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-chuck-palahniuk-24118.jpg) Chuck Palahniuk 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/chuck-palahniuk/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-chase-s-m-neill-62779.jpg) Chase S.M. Neill 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/chase-s-m-neill/) ## More by William James > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Our minds thus grow in spots; and like grease-spots, the spots spread. But we let them spread as little as possible: we keep unaltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/our-minds-thus-grow-in-spots-and-like-grease-spots-the-spots-spread/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Circumstance does not make me, it reveals me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/circumstance-does-not-make-me-it-reveals-me/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > ['Facts' are the bounds of human knowledge, set for it, not by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/facts-are-the-bounds-of-human-knowledge-set-for-it-not-by-it/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Woe to him whose beliefs play fast and loose with the order which realities follow in his experience; they will lead him nowhere or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/woe-to-him-whose-beliefs-play-fast-and-loose-with-the-order-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We never fully grasp the import of any true statement until we have a clear notion of what the opposite untrue statement would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-never-fully-grasp-the-import-of-any-true-statement-until-we-have-a/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is your friends who make your world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-your-friends-who-make-your-world/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/human-beings-can-alter-their-lives-by-altering-their-attitudes-of-mind/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Most people, probably, are in doubt about certain matters ascribed to their past. They may have seen them, may have said them, done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/most-people-probably-are-in-doubt-about-certain-matters-ascribed-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“How soon, indeed, are human things forgotten! As we meet here this morning, the Southern sun is shining on their place of burial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/how-soon-indeed-are-human-things-forgotten-as-we-meet-here-this/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [There can be no difference anywhere that does not make a difference somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-can-be-no-difference-anywhere-that-does-not-make-a-difference/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-wrong-always-everywhere-and-for-everyone-to-believe-anything/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/william-james/#itemlist", "name": "4 First step Quotes By William James", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We [may] answer the question: \"Why is snow white?\" by saying, \"For the same reason that soap-suds or whipped eggs are white\"-in other words, instead of giving the reason for a fact, we give another example of the same fact. 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