William James's Sick Souls, Healthy Minds

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i want to start with the title of the book, sick souls, healthy minds. What does william james mean when he talks about sick souls? And i think that while james is often regarded as the father of american pragmatism, what we forget is that his psycho logy was a response to his own sick, souledness. So he was the doctor who would cure himself. And he did this through his philosophy and through his psychology. To day, we don't think about psychology or philosophy as saving your life. But i think inwilliam james's case, as he struggled with suicide and depression, the thought that he came across could have a life

Dr. John Kaag is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts. He has written extensively on academic philosophy but his work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Paris Review, and Harper’s Magazine.

In this episode, John and Eric discuss his new book, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life.

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In This Interview, Dr. John Kaag and I Discuss How to Find Zest in Life and …

His book, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
William James’s philosophy of sick souls
James’s important message of not being alone in having a sick soul
How having a “maybe” means there is possibility
The theory of emotions and how the body keeps score
Habits are a tool that allows us to negotiate our world in an easier way
The downside to habits is that they can make us less aware and go on autopilot
The danger of midlife
Being able to expand our consciousness and view of the world
Confusing the immediate for the important and meaningful
Realizing that your will can only take you so far
How you can orient yourself to the circumstances you are faced with
Having zest for life is what makes it significant
How we tend to repeat actions when we are in midlife, making it difficult to see the newness
How his brush with death caused him to seek the zest in life
Learning to find zest in the commitment is the task of life
Finding the balance between habit and novelty