1001Philosophers

William James Quotes on Mind

William James was a 19th and early 20th-century American philosopher and psychologist, one of the founders of pragmatism and a central figure in the early development of modern psychology. This page collects quotes attributed to William James on the topic of mind, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to William James:

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

  • Attributed to William James:

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

  • Attributed to William James:

    “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.”

  • Attributed to William James:

    “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”