--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Considering the inner fitness of things…" description: "\"Considering the inner fitness of things, one would rather think that the very first act of a will endowed with freedom should be to sustain the belief ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/william-james-228_belief_considering-the-inner-fitness-of-things_421776.png" --- # Considering the inner fitness of things, one would rather… ![“Considering the inner fitness of things, one would rather think that the very first act of a will endowed with freedom should be to sustain the belief in the freedom itself.” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/william-james-228_belief_considering-the-inner-fitness-of-things_421776.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/william-james-228_belief_considering-the-inner-fitness-of-things_421776.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/william-james-228_belief_considering-the-inner-fitness-of-things_421776.png) > “Considering the inner fitness of things, one would rather think that the very first act of a will endowed with freedom should be to sustain the belief in the freedom itself.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom’s first act is to maintain belief in freedom itself, reflecting inner vitality. **In simple terms:** The first act of freedom is believing in freedom. Key Takeaway Uphold belief in liberty. Themes philosophy psychology freedom Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - personal growth - education Key Concepts willpower self‑affirmation Questions to Reflect On - What sustains your belief in freedom? - How do you act on that belief? A Different Perspective Belief alone may not secure actual freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-freedom-393903/) [Considering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considering/) [Considering Inner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considering-inner-3736877/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Endowed Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endowed-freedom-2375446/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sustain Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustain-belief-2882910/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-j-toynbee/as-human-beings-we-are-endowed-with-freedom-of-choice-and-we-cannot/) [Arnold J. 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The freedom for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-lyon-fahs/we-are-resolved-to-protect-individual-freedom-of-belief-this-freedom/) [Sophia Lyon Fahs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-lyon-fahs/) > [Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/underlying-most-arguments-against-the-free-market-is-a-lack-of-belief/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What most people really object to when they object to a free market is that it is so hard for them to shape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-most-people-really-object-to-when-they-object-to-a-free-market/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is wrong to think that belief in freedom always leads to victory; we must always be prepared for it to lead to defeat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-wrong-to-think-that-belief-in-freedom-always-leads-to-victory/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## 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. 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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/) [Explore all 854 William James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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