Of course I don't believe in it [pointing to horseshoe on his office wall]. But I understand that it brings you luck whether you believe in it or not.
Interpretation
Belief can influence perception of luck, regardless of whether it's rational.
This quote by Niels Bohr highlights the distinction between belief and reality, suggesting that the act of believing in something, such as a horseshoe as a symbol of luck, can have a psychological effect. Even if one does not personally subscribe to the superstition, understanding its influence on others can be significant, revealing how our perceptions can shape our experiences.
In practice
During a motivational speech, to emphasize the power of belief.
When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'
An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.
When searching for harmony in life one must never forget that in the drama of existence we are ourselves both actors and spectators.
And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it.
Intuitive versus analytical? That's a foolish choice. It's foolish, just like trying to choose between being realistic or idealistic. You need both in life.
Man is obviously made for thinking. Therein lies all his dignity and his merit; and his whole duty is to think as he ought.
As for what is not true, you will always find abundance in the newspapers.
The soul never thinks without a picture.
My television is the tabernacle.
Perjury is the basest and meanest and most cowardly of crimes. What can it do? Perjury can change the common air that we breathe into the axe of an executioner.
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