The Wisdom Letter #086
5 quotes from William James (1842–1910)
✹ For today's Wisdom Letter, we have carefully curated five bite-sized quotes from the American philosopher and psychologist, William James (1842–1910).
Quote № 01:
“We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.”
— William James, “Letter to E.L. Godkin (24 December 1895)”
Quote № 02:
“We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar. ...Nothing we ever do is, in strict scientific literalness, wiped out.”
— William James, “The Principles of Psychology”
Quote № 03:
“Genius, in truth, means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.”
— William James, “The Principles of Psychology”
Quote № 04:
“Objective evidence and certitude are doubtless very fine ideals to play with, but where on this moonlit and dream-visited planet are they found?”
— William James, “The Will to Believe”
Quote № 05:
“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.”
— William James, “Is Life Worth Living?”
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✺ Today’s Questions
Three philosophical questions to foster your curiosity:
Question № 01:
How do we measure the worth of a life – by its achievements, its relationships, its impact on others, or something else?
Question № 02:
How do societal norms and expectations influence individual mental health, and can one truly be "mentally healthy" in an unhealthy society?
Question № 03:
Can we choose our beliefs, or are they formed involuntarily based on our experiences and upbringing?
✽ Thank you for reading today’s Wisdom Letter.
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When a cipher is broken, the solution confirms three things: the cryptogram is objective, the cipher and clear text are as the solution says they are. The cryptanalytic method is the same as the scientific method but predates it by thousands of years.
What an enriching post, Philosopher! William James was central to a form of enquiry called Scientific Philosophy. Eventually Psychology replaced that earlier reference. Some of the other Scientific Philosophers examined reaction time, visual illusions, but not the complexity of thought and the brain. Thanks for bringing my awareness back to his work.