Belief Quote by Slavoj Žižek
““...surprised at seeing a horse-shoe above the door of Bohr’s country house, a fellow scientist exclaimed that he did not share the superstitious belief that horse-shoes kept evil spirits away, to which Bohr snapped back, ‘I don’t believe in it either. I have it there because I was told that it works even when one doesn’t believe in it’. This is indeed how ideology functions today: nobody takes democracy or justice seriously, we are all aware of their corrupted nature, but we participate in them, we display our belief in them, because we assume that they work even if we do not believe in them”.””
About This Quote
People uphold institutions like democracy despite recognizing flaws, because belief in their function persists.
In simple terms: We support systems even when skeptical of them.
Key Takeaway
Participate while demanding improvement.
Themes
politics
ideology
skepticism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- voting
- civic engagement
- policy discussion
- activism
Key Concepts
social contract
cognitive dissonance
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we continue supporting imperfect systems?
- What changes would make them trustworthy?
A Different Perspective
Blind participation can perpetuate systemic issues.
![“[About the great synthesis of atomic physics in the 1920s:] It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man; it involved the collaboration of scores of scientists from many different lands. But from the first to last the deeply creative, subtle and critical spirit of Niels Bohr guided…” quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34e/j-robert-oppenheimer-6978_bohr_about-the-great-synthesis-of-atomic-phys_427709.jpg)
