"Millions of items in the outward order..." - Quote by William James
Millions of items in the outward order are present to my senses which never properly enter into my experience. Why? Because they have no interest for me. My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind --without selective interest, experience is an utter chaos.
More by William James
“The work that leads to a doctor's degree is a constant temptation to sacrifice one's growth as a man to one's growth as a specialist.”
“As we take, in fact, a general view of the wonderful stream of our consciousness, what strikes us first is this different pace of its parts. Like a bird 's life, it seems to be made of an alternation of flights and perchings.”
“Habit simplifies our movements, makes them accurate, and diminishes fatigue.”
More on Attention
More on Experience
“Life is not just the passing of time. Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity.”
“Many thousands of people have had the experience of finding the first friend, and it is none the less a wonder; as great a wonder (pace the novelists) as first love, or even greater.”
“Eternity isn't some later time. Eternity isn't a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time. Eternity is that dimension of here and now which thinking and time cuts out. This is it. And if you don't get it here, you won't get it anywhere. And the experience of eternity right here and now is the function of life.”