Consciousness, then, does not appear to itself chopped up in bits...A 'river' or a 'stream' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let us call it the stream of thought, of consciousness, or of subjective life.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Consciousness is not made of separate bits but flows like a continuous river of thought.
- In plain terms
- Your mind flows continuously like a stream instead of being broken into pieces.
- What can you take from it?
- Mind is a continuous stream of thought.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is your mind one flow or many pieces?
- How does consciousness work?
Another view
This view ignores moments of clear breaks or distinct thoughts.
More from William James
The total possible consciousness may be split into parts which co-exist but mutually ignore each other.
Permalink to quote #19 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…
Permalink to quote #21 We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar. ...Nothing we …
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