Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned physicist, died peacefully in his home at 76.
He was probably the most respected and admired scientists in today’s age. Despite his debilitating disease, he wrote the most groundbreaking theories that provided scientists all over the world with new perspectives.
His body might have been disabled, but her mind was vivacious and sharp. He wrote some very insightful things that will help you see the bigger picture and keep you moving forward in life.
1. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
2. “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”
3. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”
4. “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit, as well as physically.”
5. “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
6. “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”
7. “Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
8. “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
9. “I think computer viruses should count as life … I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We’ve created life in our own image.”
10. “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist… Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”
11. “It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years.”
12. “We are all different, but we share the same human spirit. Perhaps it’s human nature that we adapt and survive.”
13. “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
14. “Some people would claim that things like love, joy, and beauty belong to a different category from science and can’t be described in scientific terms, but I think they can now be explained by the theory of evolution.”
15. “The thing about smart people is that they seem like crazy people to dumb people.”
16. “It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven’t done badly. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”
17. “Quiet people have the loudest minds.”
18. “So next time someone complains that you have made a mistake, tell him that may be a good thing. Because without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”
19. “Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious, and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
20. “Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humor.”
21. “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose, and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”
