Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Bythispointtheyoungmanwasn’tsoyounganymore—nearlythirtyyearsold,stillunemployed,afailureateverythinghehadattempted,withabodythatroutinelybetrayedhimandwasn’tlikelytoevergetbetter.Despitealltheadvantagesandopportunitieshe’dbeengiveninlife,everythinghadfallenapart.Theonlyconstantsinhislifeseemedtobesufferinganddisappointment.Jamesfellintoadeepdepressionandbeganmakingplanstotakehisownlife.

           Butonenight,whilereadinglecturesbythephilosopherCharlesPeirce,Jamesdecidedtoconductalittleexperiment.Inhisdiary,hewrotethathewouldspendoneyearbelievingthathewas100percentresponsibleforeverythingthatoccurredinhislife,nomatterwhat.Duringthisperiod,hewoulddoeverythinginhispowertochangehiscircumstances,nomatterthelikelihoodoffailure.Ifnothingimprovedinthatyear,thenitwouldbeapparentthathewastrulypowerlesstothecircumstancesaroundhim,andthenhewouldtakehisownlife.

           Thepunchline?WilliamJameswentontobecomethefatherofAmericanpsychology.Hisworkhasbeentranslatedintoabazillionlanguages,andhe’sregardedasoneofthemostinfluentialintellectuals/philosophers/psychologistsofhisgeneration.HewouldgoontoteachatHarvardandwouldtourmuchoftheUnitedStatesandEuropegivinglectures.Hewouldmarryandhavefivechildren(oneofwhom,Henry,wouldbecomeafamousbiographerandwinaPulitzerPrize).