As I read, each time I come across an interesting piece of writing, or a quote that resonates, I write it down in my diary. At times even long paragraphs (in even the process of writing there is a deeper connect that happens, is what I believe).
The other day I'm sitting with my diary, looking for one quote......... and I so wished it had a ' Ctrl f '.
How do you find a quote in a diary, corrected. diar(ies :). I had to look through almost three diaries, over two hours, before I found it. So the decision to do it here, going forward. It's nice in two ways. One, I get to access more efficiently, and second, you get to read too.
Here's my first one, the one I was looking for.
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”-William James
I'm working on a website for counselling, and this was almost the first quote I picked for it......it's in essence what counselling can enable. (a shift in attitude, yet in alignment with ones own core beliefs and values)
There's times quotes will give you insightful aha's, and there's times they'll make you smile....like feel good by reiterating what you already are, or do. Both are equally powerful.
How is it a discovery? Which generation is this? I thought it was a universal truth! It is just that many of us don't realise it, or accept it, even in this generation!.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's why it's a discovery :)
DeleteTrue.. I was objecting to "discovery of my generation".. might be his discovery..how can he categorise an entire generation to be at same state of mind??
ReplyDeleteInterpretation I'd say. I read it as his talking of a discovery during his time, rather than on behalf of the whole generation.
ReplyDeleteSome context: James is a 19th century philosopher and psychologist, who is considered the father of American Psychology, and is yet widely read in the psychology circuit. Way back in the 1800's he came up with the theory of emotion which spoke of 'emotions being physiological' and 'thought manifestations', concepts which are yet being made popular by thinkers and writers of today. At that point we can only imagine how radical they must have sounded.