Able Quote by David Bohm
“If each one of us can give full attention to what is actually ‘blocking’ communication while he is also attending properly to the content of what is communicated, then we may be able to create something new between us, something of very great significance for bringing to an end the at present insoluble problems of the individual and of society.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: "Dialogue and the Evolution of Consciousness", 1978
When people fully attend to both the obstacles and the content of communication, new, significant solutions can emerge for personal and societal problems.
In simple terms: Pay attention to both barriers and messages to create new solutions.
Key Takeaway
Practice deep, attentive listening.
Themes
communication
collaboration
innovation
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- team meetings
- mediated dialogues
- educational workshops
- community forums
- organizational change
Key Concepts
consciousness
systems thinking
conflict resolution
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you improve listening in tense conversations?
- What barriers prevent effective dialogue?
A Different Perspective
Deep listening requires time and patience, often lacking.
![“The system [of thought] doesn't stay with the difficult problem that produces unpleasant feelings. It's conditioned somehow to move as fast as it can toward more pleasant feelings, without actually facing the thing that's making the unpleasant feeling.” quote by David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e2a/david-bohm-4805_difficult_the-system-of-thought-doesn-t-stay-with_8291.jpg)
![“[T]here is a universal flux that cannot be defined explicitly but which can be known only implicitly, as indicated by the explicitly definable forms and shapes, some stable and some unstable, that can be abstracted from the universal flux. In this flow, mind and matter are not separate substances…” quote by David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4c1/david-bohm-4805_matter_t-here-is-a-universal-flux-that-cannot-b_446055.jpg)
