PRAGMATIC


William James (1907). Pragmatism.


James earned an MD in 1869, yet he is most well known for his writtings in psychology, philosophy, and religion.


The book is a compilation of 8 lectures on pragmatism which are highly philosophical and intellectual--ironically (given the title "pragmatism"), the lectures have little concrete practical advice for everyday living which i found disappointing...i was so frustrated part way through reading the book that i took to reading only topic sentences...his book, Principles of Psychology, may have been a better choice for finding something pragmatic...i was fooled by the title.


i turned to ChatGPT to extract something practical from the lectures and came up with (edited from chat):

if two different beliefs have no important/meaningful differences in the actions they imply, then cease debating about which belief is better!

for any advice or belief, ask: what changes in how i would live if i would enact this advice/belief? if nothing changes, then disregard the advice/belief.

 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
WHAT'S FUNNY Frank MacHovec (2008). Humor What's Funny. MacHovec has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is the author of several books...this is a short book of 90 pages. the 1st part includes definitions and theories of humor the 2nd part, about 2/3 of the book, describes and provides examples of different TYPES of humor, e.g., jokes, puns, satire--some of them may not resonate well for the younger generation as they refer to examples pre-2000 the best part of the book is the last 3 pages where he provides questions for the reader to reflect on the sources of humor in their life including: t.v. shows, comedians, music, books, cartoons, jokes...his overall advice is to play more, be a kid, game, engage in music, have fun! there is a helpful reference to Albert Ellis (creator of rationale therapy) on using humor in therapy to laugh at oneself, obtain new perspectives, and develop paradoxical thinking (unfortunately, there are no details on HOW to do this)  practice: ask what resou...
Read more
Image
WAR Yeva Skalietska (2022). You Don't Know What War Is:                                                  The Diary of a Young Girl from the Ukraine. Yeva was 12 years old when the war began in her city in the Ukraine...she kept a detailed diary by day and time for 28 days, from the sound of the first bomb to her landing in Dublin, Ireland, free at last. The fear, uncertainty, and trauma of the bombings come through powerfully in Yeva's story--all material concerns are nothing compared to the overwhelming need to survive for oneself and one's loved ones.  The kindness of ordinary people who helped her escape Ukraine to Hungary, then to Dublin, restores my faith in humanity.  The ability to connect by mobile phone was a blessing and a curse.  Prayer was a central part of the story--G help us, get us safe.  I (Jim) feel so GRAT...
Read more
Image
SEDUCTION Mary Balogh (2009). Seducing an Angel. This is the 4th book in the Huxtable series set in Regency England. Stephen, the Earl of Merton, the youngest of the Huxtables, is targeted for seduction by Cassandra Belmont (a widow with a checkered past, according to the ton), but the plan backfires, and through extraordinary circumstances, the two marry. i love how Balogh takes seemingly disastrous circumstances and turns them around for a long-term good as in the case of 2 nights of seduction which results in the discovery of a pregnancy 7 months later solidifing their decision to marry. Favorite quotes: Think of those who have been kind to you today. Forget those who have not.116 Some events, some moments, were dropped deliberately into one's life...by an unseen hand. But that hand has no power to dictate one's response. It is up to the individual concerned to make something out of these events and moments. Or not. 150 ...I would be ready to come here and be healed. And to ...
Read more