Becoming Quote by William James
“Any object not interesting in itself may become interesting through becoming associated with an object in which an interest already exists. The two associated objects grow, as it were, together; the interesting portion sheds its quality over the whole; and thus things not interesting in their own right borrow an interest which becomes as real and as strong as that of any natively interesting thing.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Principles of Psychology, William James, 1890
Objects gain interest when linked to already interesting objects, transferring and amplifying appeal.
In simple terms: Interest spreads through association.
Key Takeaway
Leverage existing interests to boost new ideas.
Themes
psychology
interest
association
influence
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
theoretical
observational
When to use this quote
- marketing
- education
- product design
- network building
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
network effect
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you create meaningful associations?
- When does borrowed interest become genuine?
A Different Perspective
If the original object lacks intrinsic value, the borrowed interest may be superficial.
