Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of inquiry over assertion in the pursuit of knowledge.
Niels Bohr suggests that every statement made should be perceived not simply as a declaration of truth, but rather as an invitation to explore further and ask questions. This perspective encourages a continuous quest for understanding, where each assertion opens up new avenues for inquiry rather than closing discussion.
In practice
During a philosophy class discussing the nature of truth.
When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'
An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.
When searching for harmony in life one must never forget that in the drama of existence we are ourselves both actors and spectators.
And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it.
A ruling intelligentsia, whether in Europe, Asia or Africa, treats the masses as raw material to be experimented on, processed, and wasted at will.
The merit of Marx is that he suddenly produces a qualitative change in the history of social thought. He interprets history, understands its dynamic, predicts the future, but in addition to predicting it (which would satisfy his scientific obligation), he expresses a revolutionary concept: the world must not only be interpreted, it must be transformed. Man ceases to be the slave and tool of his environment and converts himself into the architect of his own destiny.
Feeling insignificant because the universe is large has exactly the same logic as feeling inadequate for not being a cow.
Ever since the days of Adam, man has been hiding from God and saying, 'God is hard to find.
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we cannot cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves?
About Superman and Batman: the former is how America views itself, the latter, darker character is how the rest of the world views America.
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