--- title: "Best Philosophy Sayings by William James" description: "88 Philosophy quotes by William James. Plus more from William James and more Philosophy sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/870/william-james-228_certain_few-people-have-definitely-articulated-p_1801368.png" --- > [Few people have definitely articulated philosophies of their own. But almost everyone has his own peculiar sense of a certain total character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/few-people-have-definitely-articulated-philosophies-of-their-own-but/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/870/william-james-228_certain_few-people-have-definitely-articulated-p_1801368.png) > [I originally studied medicine in order to be a physiologist, but I drifted into psychology and philosophy from a sort of fatality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/i-originally-studied-medicine-in-order-to-be-a-physiologist-but-i/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/william-james-228_fatality_i-originally-studied-medicine-in-order-t_1856622.png) > [From all these facts there emerges a very simple abstract program for the teacher to follow in keeping the attention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/from-all-these-facts-there-emerges-a-very-simple-abstract-program-for/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f90/william-james-228_abstract_from-all-these-facts-there-emerges-a-ver_768797.png) > [There is a stream, a succession of states, or waves, or fields (or whatever you please to call them), of knowledge, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-is-a-stream-a-succession-of-states-or-waves-or-fields-or/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/652/william-james-228_deliberation_there-is-a-stream-a-succession-of-states_735074.png) > [“There is a finely translated epigram in the greek anthology which admirably expresses this state of mind, this acceptance of loss as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-is-a-finely-translated-epigram-in-the-greek-anthology-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/763/william-james-228_inspirational_there-is-a-finely-translated-epigram-in_2095414.png) > [The philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in-each-of-us-is-not-a-technical/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/william-james-228_astronomy_the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in_470061.png) > [The exercise of voluntary attention in the schoolroom must therefore be counted one of the most important points of training that take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-the-schoolroom-must-therefore/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/william-james-228_able_the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-t_1397020.png) > [If the topic be highly abstract, show its nature by concrete examples. If it be unfamiliar, trace some point of analogy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its-nature-by-concrete-examples-2/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/william-james-228_abstract_if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its_3143380.jpg) ## Other authors on Philosophy - [Debasish Mridha 430 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/debasish-mridha/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-amit-kalantri-279.jpg) Amit Kalantri 427 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/amit-kalantri/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-abhijit-naskar-99.jpg) Abhijit Naskar 175 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/abhijit-naskar/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-friedrich-nietzsche-36363.jpg) Friedrich Nietzsche 151 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/friedrich-nietzsche/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-bertrand-russell-17477.jpg) Bertrand Russell 140 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/bertrand-russell/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-frederick-lenz-36205.jpg) Frederick Lenz 99 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/frederick-lenz/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-plato-75782.jpg) Plato 92 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/plato/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-ludwig-wittgenstein-61873.jpg) Ludwig Wittgenstein 86 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/ludwig-wittgenstein/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-ayn-rand-15943.jpg) Ayn Rand 82 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/ayn-rand/) - [Janvier Chouteu-Chando 81 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/janvier-chouteu-chando/) - [Benny Bellamacina 81 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/benny-bellamacina/) ## 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/philosophy/william-james/#itemlist", "name": "Best Philosophy Sayings by William James", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Few people have definitely articulated philosophies of their own. 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It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in-each-of-us-is-not-a-technical/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/william-james-228_astronomy_the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in_470061.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/william-james-228_astronomy_the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in_470061.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/william-james-228_astronomy_the-philosophy-which-is-so-important-in_470061.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb…” — William James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The exercise of voluntary attention in the schoolroom must therefore be counted one of the most important points of training that take place there; and the first-rate teacher, by the keenness of the remoter interests which he is able to awaken, will provide abundant opportunities for its occurrence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-the-schoolroom-must-therefore/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/william-james-228_able_the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-t_1397020.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/william-james-228_able_the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-t_1397020.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/william-james-228_able_the-exercise-of-voluntary-attention-in-t_1397020.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The exercise of voluntary attention in the schoolroom must therefore be counted one of the most important…” — William James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the topic be highly abstract, show its nature by concrete examples. If it be unfamiliar, trace some point of analogy in it with the known. If it be inhuman, make it figure as part of a story. If it be difficult, couple its acquisition with some prospect of personal gain. Above all things, make sure that it shall run through certain inner changes, since no unvarying object can possibly hold the mental field for long.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its-nature-by-concrete-examples-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/william-james-228_abstract_if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its_3143380.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/william-james-228_abstract_if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its_3143380.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1b/william-james-228_abstract_if-the-topic-be-highly-abstract-show-its_3143380.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the topic be highly abstract, show its nature by concrete examples. 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Plus more from William James and more Philosophy sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/william-james/page/3/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/william-james/page/3/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Philosophy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "William James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/william-james/page/3/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```