If an idea does not appear bizarre, there is no hope for it.
Interpretation
Bizarre ideas are often the foundation of great innovation and progress.
This quote by Niels Bohr emphasizes that truly revolutionary ideas may seem strange or unconventional at first. It suggests that if an idea is not perceived as bizarre or unusual, it may lack the transformative potential needed to lead to significant breakthroughs, highlighting the importance of creativity and open-mindedness in scientific and intellectual pursuits.
In practice
During a brainstorming session to encourage creative thinking among team members.
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.
Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed.
In a world of commoditized knowledge, the returns go to the companies who can produce non-standard knowledge.
What seems nasty, painful, evil can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind.
We do all kinds of things to remain beautiful. Yet, we spend surprisingly little time taking care of what matters most - the way our mind functions.
Uncertainty that comes from knowledge (knowing what you don't know) is different from uncertainty coming from ignorance.
There is no such thing as a faithless person; we either have faith in the power of love, or faith in the power of fear. For faith is an aspect of consciousness. Have faith in love, and fear will lose its power over you. Have faith in forgiveness, and your self-hatred will fall away. Have faith in miracles, and they will come to you.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.