Anxiety Quote by David Bohm
““Q: You're asking whether we can learn to become more learning-oriented individually and collectively, rather than 'I know' oriented? Bohm: That's part of it. And another part is looking into impulses and feelings and anxieties which push us away from that. Instead of saying 'It's terrible, I'm anxious; I must quickly find some thought to relieve the anxiety', I now say 'Anxiety is perfectly normal and is to be expected in this situation'. Q: It's an opportunity to learn. Bohm: It's an opportunity to learn, yes. And this is a reversal of most of our culture.””
About This Quote
Shifting from certainty to curiosity, acknowledging anxiety as normal, transforms fear into learning opportunities, challenging cultural norms.
In simple terms: Embrace anxiety as a learning chance.
Key Takeaway
Accept discomfort, seek insight.
Themes
learning
anxiety
culture
mindset
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal development
- team workshops
- mental health training
- organizational change
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
education
Questions to Reflect On
- What anxieties can you reframe?
- How does this shift affect collaboration?
A Different Perspective
Some may resist viewing anxiety positively; cultural inertia persists.
![“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)
