--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For some reason which I have failed to…" description: "\"For some reason which I have failed to understand, many people like the system [scientific totalitarianism] when it is Russian but disliked the very sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/bertrand-russell-69_compelled_for-some-reason-which-i-have-failed-to-u_3115184.jpg" --- # For some reason which I have failed to understand, many… ![“For some reason which I have failed to understand, many people like the system [scientific totalitarianism] when it is Russian but disliked the very same system when it was German. I am compelled to think that this is due to the power of labels; these people like whatever is labelled ‘Left’…” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/bertrand-russell-69_compelled_for-some-reason-which-i-have-failed-to-u_3115184.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/bertrand-russell-69_compelled_for-some-reason-which-i-have-failed-to-u_3115184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/bertrand-russell-69_compelled_for-some-reason-which-i-have-failed-to-u_3115184.jpg) > “For some reason which I have failed to understand, many people like the system \[scientific totalitarianism\] when it is Russian but disliked the very same system when it was German. I am compelled to think that this is due to the power of labels; these people like whatever is labelled ‘Left’ without examining whether the label has any justification.” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People accept ideas based on labels rather than substance, leading to inconsistent judgments. **In simple terms:** Labels bias our acceptance of ideas. Key Takeaway Question assumptions behind labels. Themes bias critical thinking politics Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical political When to use this quote - media consumption - political debate - education curricula Key Concepts label theory social psychology ideology Questions to Reflect On - What labels influence your views? - How can we evaluate ideas beyond labels? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compelled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelled/) [Dues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dues/) [Examining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examining/) [Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification/) [Labelled Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labelled-left-5451124/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Russian Disliked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russian-disliked-5451125/) [Scientific Totalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-totalitarianism-5451123/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Totalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarianism/) [Totalitarianism Russian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarianism-russian-5451122/) ## Related quotes > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Prosperity is apt to prevent us from examining our conduct; but adversity leads us to think properly of our state, and so is beneficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/prosperity-is-apt-to-prevent-us-from-examining-our-conduct-but/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [From childhood my mother had me examining Robert Mapplethorpe's style and Egon Schiele's framing - that's what modelling is about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/from-childhood-my-mother-had-me-examining-robert-mapplethorpe-s-style/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) > [There is no need for a fear of losing control over who is accessing the network to hold back the productivity benefits of flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jackson/there-is-no-need-for-a-fear-of-losing-control-over-who-is-accessing/) [Richard Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jackson/) > [The program grew out of a desire to address a gap identified after 9/11 ... The program does not involve the NSA examining the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-program-grew-out-of-a-desire-to-address-a-gap-identified-after-9/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Remus Lupin was supposed to be on the H.I.V. metaphor. It was someone who had been infected young, who suffered stigma, who had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/remus-lupin-was-supposed-to-be-on-the-h-i-v-metaphor-it-was-someone/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I think the key to writing the truth of our existences, so much of this is being incubated online, is examining the conflicts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/i-think-the-key-to-writing-the-truth-of-our-existences-so-much-of/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) > [A live unexamined isn't worth living. I will add, "A life unlived isn't worth examining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-live-unexamined-isn-t-worth-living-i-will-add-a-life-unlived-isn-t/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [When I first began examining the global-warming scare, I found nothing more puzzling than the way officially approved scientists kept on being shown to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-booker/when-i-first-began-examining-the-global-warming-scare-i-found-nothing/) [Christopher Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-booker/) > [The philosophic spirit of inquiry may be traced to brute curiosity, and that to the habit of examining all things in search of food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-winwood-reade/the-philosophic-spirit-of-inquiry-may-be-traced-to-brute-curiosity/) [William Winwood Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-winwood-reade/) > [we make a great fuss about national conscience, but it consists mainly in insisting upon everyone ascribing our national policy to highly moral motives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/we-make-a-great-fuss-about-national-conscience-but-it-consists-mainly/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [The examining physician often hesitates to make the necessary examination because it involves soiling the finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james-mayo/the-examining-physician-often-hesitates-to-make-the-necessary/) [William James Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james-mayo/) > [I love that the idea of examining memory, and the way memory is edited was made more interesting because it was being filtered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-love-that-the-idea-of-examining-memory-and-the-way-memory-is-edited/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [The unlived life is not worth examining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-unlived-life-is-not-worth-examining/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Compelled quotes > [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [When I think of God's Kingdom, I am compelled to be silent because of its immensity, because God's Kingdom is none other than God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/when-i-think-of-god-s-kingdom-i-am-compelled-to-be-silent-because-of/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [Ordinary citizens are obliged and, if need be, compelled by force to meet their commitments. But let higher obligations of an international order be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-albert-gobat/ordinary-citizens-are-obliged-and-if-need-be-compelled-by-force-to/) [Charles Albert Gobat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-albert-gobat/) > [Untethered technology gives us the freedom to do nearly anything, anytime, anywhere. It can also enslave us - we feel compelled to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-stone/untethered-technology-gives-us-the-freedom-to-do-nearly-anything/) [Linda Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-stone/) > [He who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exemplify the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-i/he-who-is-required-by-the-necessity-of-his-position-to-speak-the/) [Pope Gregory I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-i/) > [I found myself compelled - like this weird, shameful compulsion - to draw cute animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/i-found-myself-compelled-like-this-weird-shameful-compulsion-to-draw/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [ I've written a lot of other books and this book \[Tears we cannot stop\] was different. I couldn't just say what I wanted to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-ve-written-a-lot-of-other-books-and-this-book-tears-we-cannot-stop/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [See with what force yon river's crystal stream Resists the weight of many a massy beam. To sink the wood the more we vainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/see-with-what-force-yon-river-s-crystal-stream-resists-the-weight-of/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [“The more helpless she was, the more he would feel compelled to protect her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-helpless-she-was-the-more-he-would-feel-compelled-to-protect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love different sorts of people, their stories, all the different facets, that make them, them. This is entwined with how I am compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-cairney/i-love-different-sorts-of-people-their-stories-all-the-different/) [Gemma Cairney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-cairney/) > [The most deeply compelled action is also the freest action. By that I mean, no part of you is outside the action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-most-deeply-compelled-action-is-also-the-freest-action-by-that-i/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [It's a mission for me to make sure that philanthropy doesn't feel like a vintage hand-me-down from mom or dad. I want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usher/it-s-a-mission-for-me-to-make-sure-that-philanthropy-doesn-t-feel/) [Usher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usher/) > [Operas elucidate, in a way sometimes absent in other theatrical productions, the very human fact that in every hero, there is a thread of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/operas-elucidate-in-a-way-sometimes-absent-in-other-theatrical/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [The first thing, when I read the script, is that I need to care about what happens and feel compelled by the story and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/the-first-thing-when-i-read-the-script-is-that-i-need-to-care-about/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [God has not made this world to be a nest for us, and if we try to make it such for ourselves, he plants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/god-has-not-made-this-world-to-be-a-nest-for-us-and-if-we-try-to-make/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 515 Compelled quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelled/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For some reason which I have failed to understand, many people like the system [scientific totalitarianism] when it is Russian but disliked the very same system when it was German. 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