William James Quote: Man needs a rule for his will, and...

Man needs a rule for his will, and will invent one if one be not given him.

Source: Principles of Psychology - Chapter 21 - 1890

Select Quotes by William James

The mind, in short, works on the data it receives very much as a sculptor works on his block of stone. In a sense the statue stood there from eternity. But there were a thousand different ones beside it, and the sculptor alone is to thank for having extricated this one from the rest.

— William James

Source: Principles of Psychology - Chapter 9 - 1890

There is but one unconditional commandment, which is that we should seek incessantly, with fear and trembling, so to vote and to act as to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.

— William James

Source: The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life - 1897

First… a new theory is attacked as absurd; then it is admitted to be true, but obvious and insignificant; finally it is seen to be so important that its adversaries claim that they themselves discovered it.

— William James

Source: Pragmatism - 1907