Thought Quote by David Bohm
““So we have this system of thought. Now, I say that this system has a fault in it—a systemic fault. It's not a fault here, there or there, but it is a fault that is all throughout the system. Can you picture that? It's everywhere and nowhere. You may say 'I see a problem here, so I will bring my thought to bear on this problem'. But 'my' thought is part of the system. It has the same fault as the fault I'm trying to look at, or a similar fault. We have this systemic fault; and you can see that this is what has been going on in all these problems of the world—such as the problems that the fragmentation of nations has produced. We say: 'Here is a fault. Something has gone wrong.' But in dealing with it, we use the same kind of fragmentary thought that produced the problem, just a somewhat different version of it; therefore it's not going to help, and it may make things worse.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Implicate Order, David Bohm, 1975
The quote argues that our thinking is inherently fragmented, causing systemic faults that repeat across problems, and using the same fragmented mindset to solve them only perpetuates the issue.
In simple terms: Our thinking is broken, and fixing it with the same broken thoughts fails.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and adopt holistic thinking.
Themes
systems thinking
fragmentation
philosophy
problem solving
Mood
thoughtful
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
reflective
analytical
When to use this quote
- political conflict
- environmental crisis
- personal decision making
- organizational change
Key Concepts
implicate order
holistic perception
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we cultivate holistic awareness?
- What practices reveal systemic faults?
A Different Perspective
Changing mindset is difficult; entrenched habits resist holistic approaches.
![“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)
