William JamesAn outree explanation, violating all our preconceptions, would never pass for a true account of a novelty. We should scratch round industriously till we found something less excentric.
About This Quote
The speaker of this quote is using an example to clarify the absurdity of another person’s behavior. If someone is so far out of the norm that their behavior is ridiculous or unbelievable, then you should not attempt to explain it, because no explanation would ever be seen as a true account of what actually happened. Instead, you should scratch around industriously until you find something less outlandish.
Source: Pragmatism And Other Writings
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More Quotes By William James
- The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.
- Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.
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- See the exquisite contrast of the types of mind! The pragmatist clings to facts and concreteness, observes truth at its work in particular cases, and generalises. Truth, for him, becomes a class-name for all sorts of definite working-values in experience. For the rationalist it remains...