William James Quotes & Sayings

103 most famous William James quotes and sayings (philosopher). These are the first 10 quotes we have.

“Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”

“Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.”

“If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.”

“Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.”

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

“Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.”

“The world we see that seems so insane is the result of a belief system that is not working. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds.”

“Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.”