Faith healing Quote by Richard P. Feynman
““I believe that we must attack these things in which we do not believe. Not attack by the method of cutting off the heads of the people, but attack in the sense of discuss. I believe that we should demand that people try in their own minds to obtain for themselves a more consistent picture of their own world; that they not permit themselves the luxury of having their brain cut in four pieces or two pieces even, and on one side they believe this and on the other side they believe that, but never try to compare the two points of view. Because we have learned that, by trying to put the points of view that we have in our head together and comparing one to the other, we make some progress in understanding and in appreciating where we are and what we are. And I believe that science has remained irrelevant because we wait until somebody asks us questions or until we are invited to give a speech on Einstein’s theory to people who don’t understand Newtonian mechanics, but we never are invited to give an attack on faith healing, or on astrology — on what is the scientific view of astrology today.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Science and Faith, 1970s
Understanding requires confronting conflicting ideas through discussion, not suppression.
In simple terms: Discuss opposing views to grow understanding.
Engage in open dialogue.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic debates
- public policy
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile conflicting beliefs?
- What role does dialogue play in scientific progress?
May be dismissed by those resistant to questioning.