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Source identified
“Continuity of training is the great means of making the nervous system act infallibly right.”

William James

Source
Talks To Teachers On Psychology; And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals
Date
1899
Attribution
Source identified
Meaning

What does this quote mean?

James emphasizes uninterrupted practice when establishing a new habit, using the physiological language of his period to argue that consistency makes desired responses increasingly automatic.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Talks To Teachers, chapter on Habit; Project Gutenberg #16287. The line follows James’s maxim against allowing exceptions before a new habit is secure; its nervous-system terminology is historically contextualized.

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Attribution

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This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.

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Themes

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