William James - Psychology, Ethics, and Success
William James (1842-1910)
American psychologist and philosopher.
Brother of the novelist, Henry James.
His most famous book
is…
The Principles of Psychology (1890).
What did he say about psychology, ethics, and success?
1. Pragmatism
Anything is valid or right, if it:
- is useful (produces results), or
- satisfies a need or desire.
Truth and rightness are not based on your feelings but on:
- an evaluation of all relevant facts.
If the evidence for two ideas is the same, the one with the better consequences should be
preferred.
James was a close friend of the founder of pragmatism, C.S. Peirce (pictured right above) .
2. Free will and happiness
You have free will to:
- do what you want with your life
- improve yourself by changing your attitudes (like James who
overcame depression in his late 20’s).
So vital are:
- self-belief.
James was miserable in his first two careers as an artist and a doctor.
Then he found great happiness from:
- his wife, Alice (pictured right above).
3. Be true to yourself
When they do things, the best people say to themselves:
'This is the real me'.
4. Self-esteem
This depends on your successes and expectations.
If your expectations exceed your ability (like being a pop star), you will:
5. Make the most of yourself (particularly your soul)
Take every opportunity to do useful things again and again, until they;
“Sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a
destiny”, he said.
Make the most of the three sides of your life:
a) material me
b) social me
c) spiritual me
Experiences beyond material things and people.
(like God, peace of mind and ethics).
The spiritual and social are more important than the material.
So don’t earn more money at the expense of your:
- soul (by doing something wrong).
Success is dependent on:
- making the right choices - 'will you or won't you?' is the key question.
- avoiding “moral flabbiness” - don't be blind to other people's needs and
situation.
6. Learn
Learning requires:
a) self-motivation
Wanting to learn and improve yourself.
b) thinking
Forming your own views after:
- discussing them with other people.
- considering all relevant facts.
c) attention
Focusing on useful knowledge.
d) association
Linking one object or idea with another (e.g. cup and saucer).
e) memory
Remembering relevant facts, helped by associating one fact with another.
f) reasoning
- looking at the advantages and disadvantages of doing
something.
- identifying what’s important.
g) instinct
Things you do automatically without thinking.
7. Be “tender-minded” and “tough-minded”
Be kind to others, but tough and
courageous enough to:
- stand up for what you think is right.
8. Understand your emotions
Emotion is the feeling that results from the physical changes caused by something exciting or disturbing.
So you’re sad because you cry, not crying because you’re sad.
“We feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble”, he
said.
A famous example of this theory (what is now called the James-Lange theory of emotion) is
“I see a bear, I run, I am afraid”.
The fear results from seeing the bear.
9. Triumph over evil and religion
Happy people:
- don't dwell on evil and positively conquer it with goodness and optimism.
- avoid the “sick soul” , where your evil is accepted as incurable, essential and
all-powerful.
- have the “will to believe” (the motivation to believe in something good)
Religion can give you:
- the ability to conquer evil.
First hand (or authentic)
religion is best, based not on dogmatic doctrine but:
- a personal pursuit of meaning.
10. “Stream of thought”
Life is a “stream” of one thought after another, each affected
by your experience.
Key quote on learning and wisdom
Truth is what works.
Key quote on
creativity
Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made
true by events.
Key quote on the learning
organization
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their
prejudices.
Key quote on decision
making
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
Key quote on
communication
There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.
Key quotes on
success
The moral flabbiness born of the exclusive worship
of the bitch-goddess success
There is but one cause of human failure...man’s lack
of faith in his true self.
Key quotes on
change
If things are to move upward, someone must take the first step and assume the risk
of it.
To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it
flamboyantly.
Key quotes on positive
thinking
A thing is important if anyone think it important.
Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.
Key quotes on
happiness
There is no happiness without action.
There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision
Key quote on
motivation
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
Key quote on
relationships
When two people meet there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the
other sees him and each man as he really is.
Key quote on
ethics
Sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a
destiny.
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