Most unhappiness is caused because people listen to themselves... instead of talking to themselves.
William JamesGive up the feeling of responsibility, let go your hold, resign the care of your destiny to higher powers, be genuinely indifferent as to what becomes of it all and you will find not only that you gain a perfect inward relief, but often also, in addition, the particular goods you sincerely thought you were renouncing.
William JamesIt is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.
William JamesThere are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.
William JamesIntellectualism' is the belief that our mind comes upon a world complete in itself, and has the duty of ascertaining its contents; but has no power of re-determining its character, for that is already given.
William JamesAny 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.
William James