Oh what idiots we have all been, this is just as it must be
Interpretation
The quote reflects on human fallibility and acceptance of the inevitability of certain events.
Niels Bohr's quote suggests a philosophical acceptance of our mistakes and misjudgments throughout history. It encapsulates the idea that humanity often acts foolishly, yet there is a sense of inevitability in our actions and the outcomes we face. In acknowledging our past errors, there is an invitation to reflect on the nature of human decision-making and the lessons learned as we navigate life's complexities.
In practice
In a discussion about historical events where mistakes were made, this quote can serve as a reminder of human fallibility.
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.
Other people's lives come at us without a backstory most of the time. The present is like that.
Those in possession of absolute power can not only prophesy and make their prophecies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true.
If the weather is too cold or rainy, I take shelter in the Regence Cafe, where I entertain myself by watching chess being played. Paris is the world center, and this cafe is the Paris centre for the finest skill at this game.
Switzerland is a country where very few things begin, but many things end.
To truth only a brief celebration of victory is allowed between the two long periods during which it is condemned as paradoxical, or disparaged as trivial.
An irresistible passion that would induce me to believe in innate ideas and the truth of prophecy has decided my career. I have always loved liberty with the enthusiasm which actuates the religious man with the passion of a lover and with the conviction of a geometrician.
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