Questioner: I'm unclear on the point about the difference…
““Questioner: I'm unclear on the point about the difference between thinking and thought. Are you proposing that we slide from thinking into thought without being aware that we are doing it? Bohm: Yes. It's automatic, because when we've been thinking, that thinking gets recorded in the brain and becomes thought. I'll discuss later how that thought is an active set of movements, a reflex. But suppose you keep telling very young children that people of a certain group are no good, no good, no good. Then later on it becomes thought which just springs up—'they're no good'.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Thinking becomes thought automatically when repeated; repeated negative messages embed themselves as unconscious biases that later surface as thoughts.
In simple terms: Repeated ideas turn into automatic thoughts.
Key Takeaway
Question and challenge ingrained beliefs.
Themes
cognition
bias
social conditioning
psychology
learning
Mood
thoughtful
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- education
- parenting
- media consumption
- social policy
Key Concepts
neural encoding
automaticity
prejudice
thought formation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you identify automatic thoughts?
- What practices can rewire harmful mental patterns?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep-seated thoughts requires conscious effort and new experiences.