The Artist of
POSSIBILITY
Magazine
This essay was originally a lecture delivered to teachers in 1892. In it James expresses his view that anxiety had already by the late 1800s become an epidemic among the American population. James is one of the original architects of what we call alternative thinking today, and many of the ideas expressed in this essay are as relevant today as they were 130 years ago. While this essay has been edited for brevity and to the sensibilities of modern readers, we have endeavored to leave the distinctive character of James’ writing intact.