Quotes · Quote card
Quotation from The Principles of Psychology by William James
“Every one knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought”
The Principles of Psychology, Vol. I, Chapter XI: Attention
James's much-cited definition, followed by a contrast with the 'confused, dazed, scatter-brained' state of distraction.
Citation: "Every one knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought" — William James, The Principles of Psychology, Vol. I, Chapter XI: Attention. (id the-principles-of-psychology-q8)
Portrait: William James by Alice M. Boughton, c. 1907, platinum print, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-NPG 87 37James-000001 (cropped), Alice Boughton, Public domain.
