William James Quotes

Everyone knows that on any given day there are energies slumbering in him which the incitement's of that day do not call forth. Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. The human individual usually lives far within his limits.

We think that we have great potential but never reach it.

Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make very small use of their possible consciousness, and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into a habit of using and moving only his little finger.

Men are often capable of greater things than they perform - They are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent.

A man without passion is only a latent force, only a possibility, like a stone waiting for the blow from the iron to give forth sparks.

Stuck as Adam Cartwright, I was only able to use about one-tenth of my ability.

I didn't know I had it in me. There's more to all of us than we realize. Life is so much bigger, grander, higher, and wider than we allow ourselves to think. We're capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to believe.

Most human beings only scratch the surface of their real potential. They have no idea what they're capable of.

Do you know how much energy, how many powers, how many forces, are still lurking behind that frame of yours? What scientist has known all that is in man? Millions of years have passed since man came here, and yet but one infinitesimal part of his powers has been manifested. Therefore, you must not say that you are weak. How do you know what possibilities lie behind that degradation on the surface? You know but little of that which is within you. For behind you is the ocean of infinite power and blessedness.

The greatest handicap a person has is not realizing his potential.

deeds cannot dream what dreams can do

[H]uman beings...make a limit in their mind of what their potential is. They decide, "I've been told this," or "this is what society tells me," or they've been made to believe something. If every human being actually threw away those thoughts...the potential of human beings is great, it's huge, compared to what they actually think of themselves.

I believe every person has within themselves inexhaustible reserves of potential they have never even come close to realizing.

Can we not will ourselves to achieve the impossible? Can we not use the power of our life force to change something: one small thing, one insignificant moment, one breath, one gesture? Is there nothing we can do to change what is around us?

Every person is born with a seed of greatness.

The unknown energy that can help humanity is that which lies hidden in the child.

Like every person, every thought has the potential to become something great.

We don't see what we could be. We should be looking at our potential, stretching ourselves into everything we can become.

Every man stamps his value on himself... man is made great or small by his own will.

The world is nothing, the man is all; in yourself is the law of all nature, and you know not yet how a globule of sap ascends; in yourself slumbers the whole of Reason; it is for you to know all, it is for you to dare all.

Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being.

Within us is the unborn possibility of limitless experience. Ours is the privilege of giving birth to it!

Most of us can learn to live in perfect comfort on higher levels of power. Everyone knows that on any given day there are energies slumbering in him which the incitements of that day do not call forth. Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. It is evident that our organism has stored-up reserves of energy that are ordinarily not called upon - deeper and deeper strata of explosible material, ready for use by anyone who probes so deep. The human individual usually lives far within his limits.

... people are capable of more than their organizational positions ever give them the tools or the time or the opportunity to demonstrate.

Man is his own star, and the soul that can Render an honest and a perfect man, Commands all light.