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"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits — practical, emotional, and intellectual — systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be."

William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology (1899)

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William James (1842–1910) was an American psychologist and philosopher who taught at Harvard. In the 1890s he gave a series of lectures to schoolteachers, published in 1899, to show how the young science of psychology could help in the classroom. This line comes from his talk on habit, just after he notes that our virtues are habits as much as our vices. His advice followed from it: make as many useful actions automatic as early as possible, so that attention is left free for what is new and difficult.

Türkçe oku
“Hayatımız, belli bir biçim kazandığı ölçüde, bir alışkanlıklar yığınından ibarettir: pratik, duygusal ve zihinsel alışkanlıklar. İster hayrımıza ister şerrimize, sistemli biçimde düzenlenmiş bu alışkanlıklar, kaderimiz ne olacaksa bizi karşı konulmaz biçimde oraya taşır.”
William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology (1899)

William James (1842–1910), Harvard'da ders veren Amerikalı bir psikolog ve filozoftu. 1890'larda öğretmenlere, yeni gelişen psikoloji biliminin sınıfta nasıl işe yarayabileceğini anlatan bir dizi konuşma yaptı; bunlar 1899'da kitap olarak yayımlandı. Bu söz, alışkanlık üzerine yaptığı konuşmadan; hemen öncesinde erdemlerimizin de kusurlarımız kadar alışkanlık olduğunu söyler. Öğütü de buradan çıkar: yararlı davranışları olabildiğince erken ve olabildiğince çok otomatik hâle getirmek, böylece dikkati yeni ve zor olana saklamak.

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