We’ve explored the ideas of many philosophers and psychologists for quote of the day. And we want to revisit William James, who is often referred to as the “father of American psychology.” Even though he attended Harvard to study chemistry and anatomy, and came back to teach vertebrate physiology, James was “instrumental in establishing Harvard’s psychology department,” per the university. He went on to teach one of the first psychology courses at the university, oversaw their first doctorate in psychology and conducted philosophy and psychology lab research.
James was born into a wealthy family in 1842 in New York City, NY, to a father who was very into philosophy and theology, so he made sure James and his four siblings had a good education to soak it all up, too. James initially wanted to be a painter, and even though his father wanted him to go into science of philosophy, he allowed James to study painting. But James eventually gave up on that and enrolled at Harvard.
According to Britannica, James was a “leader of the philosophical movement of pragmatism” and founded the psychological movement of functionalism. Per Harvard University, functionalism was a “theoretical perspective on psychology” that “sought causal relationships between internal states and external behaviors.” So instead of getting to the deep root of a mental state (a desire, pain, thought, etc.), it focused more on its function or the external cause for it.
In terms of pragmatism, it was “a distinctly American way of thinking” that argued that “we must test our beliefs and decisions by results,” as the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Humanities magazine reported. James basically believed that you should just do something—whether to fix a problem, solve something or make a decision—and see if it works. He thought that you shouldn’t just use logic, but factor in your lived experiences too.
James’ legacy is seen a lot through the theories he came up with and also the students he taught and influenced.
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Quote of the Day by William James
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“Wherever you are it is your own friends who make your world.”
This quote from James can be found in 1935’s The Thought and Character of William James (Vol. II), a biography written by Ralph Barton Perry, who was an educator, philosopher and a former student of James who was heavily influenced by him, per Britannica. It’s a pretty lengthy book; this statement comes in one of the last sections, in Chapter 91, “Character and Thought: Benign Traits.”
In the paragraph it shows up in, Perry writes that James was known for having friendships that were almost as strong as “family ties.” He then says that two weeks before his death, James wrote to W.D. Howells: “One’s ancient affections seem the abidingly real part of it all.”
And to another person, James wrote our quote of the day: “Wherever you are it is your own friends who make your world.”
Perry follows this up by saying this was the vibe he often wrote in his correspondence, even and especially when he was “isolated” from friends. James’ friendships were “distinguished by their quality as well as by their number. They partook both of love and admiration.” And he “almost always” became friends with his colleagues, often initiating friendships.
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Deeper Meaning of William James’ Quote—The People Around You ‘Make Your World’
As Perry wrote, James valued friendship very deeply in his life. So this quote makes sense coming from him. Plus, it’s such a positive way to look at the world and the life that you’ve built.
What James is saying in this statement is that even if you’re far from your friends, they can still shape your existence. He obviously believed that friendship was super important, and did a lot to cultivate and sustain those relationships right up until his death.
The people you surround yourself with really do make up your “world” and can either cause your life to be better or worse for it. And while family is usually important, you can’t choose them. But you can select your companions and create your own chosen family (even if you do have a good relationship with your blood relatives).
This is why it’s so important to be careful about who you befriend, because if you get close enough, that person is part of your main environment. So if you have friends who are supportive, fun and who you can confide in, your life will be better off for it. And again, no matter where you are, your friends are still part of your orbit. Even if they’re far, they’ll be there for you if you need them and vice versa.
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More Quotes from William James
“Be not afraid of life, believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” “Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events.” “All our scientific and philosophic ideals are altars to unknown gods.” “Freedom is only necessity understood.” “Every way of classifying a thing is but a way of handling it for some particular purpose.” “Pretend what we may, the whole man within us is at work when we form our philosophical opinions.” “Everybody should do at least two things each day that he hates to do, just for practice.” “Tell him to live by yes and no — yes to everything good, no to everything bad.”Up Next:
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