--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest discovery of my generation…" description: "\"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change his life by changing his attitude of mind\" — William James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png" --- # The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human… ![“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change his life by changing his attitude of mind” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png) > “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change his life by changing his attitude of mind” [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. Attitude shapes reality; changing one’s mindset can transform life outcomes. **In simple terms:** Mindset changes life. Key Takeaway Cultivate a positive attitude. Themes psychology self‑growth mindset agency Mood hopeful encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal development - therapy - goal setting Key Concepts cognitive restructuring behavioral change philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What attitude shifts could improve your life? - How do you maintain a new mindset? A Different Perspective Deep change requires sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-life/) [Changing attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-attitude/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Generation Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-human-363634/) [Human Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-change-2180242/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-changing/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [Change your life by changing your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/change-your-life-by-changing-your-thoughts/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can-3/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-any-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The greatest discovery of my generation is that human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of his mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-human-being-can-alter/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-any-generation-is-that-a-human-can-alter/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-human-beings-can/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Man can change his life simply by changing his attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/man-can-change-his-life-simply-by-changing-his-attitude/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-kerrey/unexpected-kindness-is-the-most-powerful-least-costly-and-most-2/) [Bob Kerrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-kerrey/) > [“The first point to notice is that the Transition cannot be explained by climatic change alone: human change was not the direct result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-lewis-williams/the-first-point-to-notice-is-that-the-transition-cannot-be-explained/) [James David Lewis-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-david-lewis-williams/) > [There is no such thing as change, but I would describe it as an alteration.'' Change implies transformation, if humanity has instincts and impulses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/there-is-no-such-thing-as-change-but-i-would-describe-it-as-an/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Favor comes because for a brief moment in the great space of human change and progress some general human purpose finds in him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/favor-comes-because-for-a-brief-moment-in-the-great-space-of-human/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [..there is hope. That's the marvelous thing about being human. We can change our future. We need not be enslaved by the experiences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/there-is-hope-that-s-the-marvelous-thing-about-being-human-we-can/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [All things human change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/all-things-human-change/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“But our world is abundant with beauty and courage and grace. I’m aware of a growing aspiration to attend, with all the tools we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-tippett/but-our-world-is-abundant-with-beauty-and-courage-and-grace-i-m-aware/) [Krista Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-tippett/) > [“One human can change the course of human history - all it takes is the right idea, at the right time, in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/one-human-can-change-the-course-of-human-history-all-it-takes-is-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## 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/) [Explore all 854 William James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More Change life quotes > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [“That story you're scared to share --- that story has the power to change both your life and the lives of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-fore/that-story-you-re-scared-to-share-that-story-has-the-power-to-change/) [Jo Ann Fore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-fore/) > [If you don't change your life; your life will change you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-change-your-life-your-life-will-change-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Don't be afraid to take an unfamiliar path, sometimes they're the ones that take you to the best places. Sometimes it's the smallest decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-zhims/don-t-be-afraid-to-take-an-unfamiliar-path-sometimes-they-re-the-ones/) [Keren Zhims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-zhims/) > [The Day you change your mind it will change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stankyrich/the-day-you-change-your-mind-it-will-change-your-life/) [Stankyrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stankyrich/) > [Every quote is a sign, Just like how every person has a ability, you can use it to make a change in life. 8)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-quote-is-a-sign-just-like-how-every-person-has-a-ability-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One cannot change his current life span but one can change his next life form. The ticket can be changed but death cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/one-cannot-change-his-current-life-span-but-one-can-change-his-next/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [I'm in this sport to change my life. I'm in this sport to change my parents' lives and the loved ones around me. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/i-m-in-this-sport-to-change-my-life-i-m-in-this-sport-to-change-my/) [Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/) > [“If a Stupidity can change your life, then why you need Maturity ? ..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritesh-rangare/if-a-stupidity-can-change-your-life-then-why-you-need-maturity/) [Ritesh Rangare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritesh-rangare/) > [You can't change your life. This mode in literature goes against the more middle-brown mode, which is about shaping your destiny, changing it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-mccarthy/you-can-t-change-your-life-this-mode-in-literature-goes-against-the/) [Tommy McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-mccarthy/) > [You have the capability to change your life all with a simple shift in perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/you-have-the-capability-to-change-your-life-all-with-a-simple-shift/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Just a random roll of the dice could change everything in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lostintears/just-a-random-roll-of-the-dice-could-change-everything-in-your-life/) [LostInTears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lostintears/) > [“The one thing that always stays the same is that nothing ever stays the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-connor/the-one-thing-that-always-stays-the-same-is-that-nothing-ever-stays/) [Julieanne O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-connor/) > [The king had a dream, barrack wanted change, all of my life was known to bang and try to get paid. ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrcrimnal/the-king-had-a-dream-barrack-wanted-change-all-of-my-life-was-known/) [MrCrimnal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrcrimnal/) [Browse all 875 Change life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change his life by changing his attitude of mind", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/william-james-228_change-life_the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation_1237975.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can change his life by changing his attitude…” — William James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "William James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The greatest discovery of my generation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-my-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```