Considered as the most important physicist of the second half of the 20th century, Stephen Hawking died at age 76.
The inspiration he left with the world not only pertains to his groundbreaking contributions to science but also to his bravery in doing his best despite the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease that plagued his health since he was 21 years of age.
He portrayed the best example that a disease may paralyze the body but not the mind and spirit.
Live Science even called him an outlier for living that long with the disease since anyone diagnosed with such a case is only given two to three years to live.
How he managed to live that long, no one can explain just yet.
Stephen Hawking’s brilliant spirit and mind open us to new perspectives of seeing things more universally. These are the 23 fruits of wisdom he left for humanity!
23 Most Inspiring Quotes From Stephen Hawking:
- “The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression.”
2. “The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order, which may or may not be divinely inspired.”
3. “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”
4. “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”
5. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”.
6. “Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
7. “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”.
8. “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny”.
9. “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at”.
10. “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”.
11. “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”.
12. “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”
13. “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
14. “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”.
15. “I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predetermined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road”.
16. “Quiet People have the loudest minds”.
17. “We are all different, but we share the same human spirit. Perhaps it’s human nature that we adapt and survive”.
18. “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer”.
19. “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”.
20. “Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humor”.
21. “The thing about smart people is that they seem like crazy people to dumb people”.
22. “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”.
23. “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”.
References:
– https://themindsjournal.com/top-22-stephen-hawking-quotes-and-lessons-that-will-inspire/;
– https://www.livescience.com/62015-stephen-hawking-quotes.html;
