Top Quotes from Richard Feynman

About Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman, a radiant star in the scientific firmament, charmed the world not only with his unparalleled contributions to physics but also with his infectious passion, playful spirit, and boundless curiosity. Born on May 11, 1918, in Queens, New York, Feynman's journey through the realms of knowledge was a joyful dance, leaving behind footprints of wisdom and wonder.

What set Feynman apart was his remarkable ability to unravel the intricacies of the universe while wearing a mischievous grin. His lectures were more than lessons; they were exhilarating journeys into the quantum world, peppered with anecdotes, doodles, and his signature Feynman diagrams. With a twinkle in his eye and a knack for translating complex equations into relatable stories, he made the most abstruse concepts accessible to all.

His contributions to quantum electrodynamics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, were more than mathematical triumphs—they were glimpses into his effervescent creativity. Feynman diagrams, those whimsical squiggles that danced across chalkboards, revealed the hidden choreography of particles and their waltz through space and time.

But Feynman was more than just a physicist; he was a Renaissance soul who explored diverse landscapes of knowledge. His love for cracking safes and playing bongo drums painted him as a playful rebel, while his deep dives into biology and the workings of the natural world showcased his insatiable curiosity. Feynman's spirit was akin to a sunbeam, touching everything from nanotechnology to the essence of computation.

Beneath his magnetic persona, Feynman was a philosopher who pondered the mysteries of existence. His writings echoed his musings on uncertainty, the joy of discovery, and the profound relationship between science and the human heart. He was a thinker who understood that the universe, as complex as it may be, is ultimately a reflection of the grandeur within us.

Feynman's warmth and charisma were the gravitational forces that pulled people into the orbit of science. His infectious enthusiasm dissolved barriers, inviting everyone to explore the wonders of the cosmos alongside him. He wasn't just a teacher; he was a companion on a cosmic journey, guiding us through the labyrinth of particles and galaxies with a gentle and encouraging hand.

In the heart of scientific history, Richard Feynman shines as a beacon of intellect, a spark of creativity, and a testament to the joy of exploration. His legacy extends beyond equations and theories, touching the very soul of humanity's quest for understanding. Feynman's legacy is an invitation—a warm, irresistible invitation—to gaze at the stars, tinker with ideas, and dance with the mysteries of the universe.

Richard Feynman Quotes

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don't think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn't stop you from doing anything at all.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“If I could explain it to the average person, it wouldn't have been worth the Nobel Prize.”

― Richard P. Feynman

 

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.”

― Richard P. Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“The thing that doesn't fit is the thing that's the most interesting: the part that doesn't go according to what you expected.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing — that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.”

― Richard P. Feynman

“I... a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”
― Richard P. Feynman

“I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“What one fool can understand, another can.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here. I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell.”
― Richard P. Feynman

“The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Don't pay attention to "authorities," think for yourself.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity.”
― Richard P. Feynman

“Physics isn't the most important thing. Love is.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“We never are definitely right, we can only be sure we are wrong.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I'm smart enough to know that I'm dumb.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I don't know what's the matter with people: they don't learn by understanding; they learn by some other way - by rote, or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-Educate yourself about things. Study hard what interests you the most. Don't worry about what others think of you, that's none of your business. Train your mind to think, doubt, and question. That's how you grow.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I was an ordinary person who studied hard. There's no miracle people!”
― Richard P. Feynman



“The internal machinery of life, the chemistry of the parts, is something beautiful. And it turns out that all life is interconnected with all other life.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“See that the imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“If you thought that science was certain - well, that is just an error on your part.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“We need to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed. It's OK to say, "I don't know."
― Richard P. Feynman



“All the time you're saying to yourself, 'I could do that, but I won't,' — which is just another way of saying that you can't.”
― Richard P. Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character



“So I have just one wish for you – the good luck to be somewhere where you are free to maintain the kind of integrity I have described, and where you do not feel forced by a need to maintain your position in the organization, or financial support, or so on, to lose your integrity. May you have that freedom.”
― Richard P. Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character



“Another of the qualities of science is that it teaches the value of rational thought, as well as the importance of freedom of thought; the positive results that come from doubting that all the lessons are true... Learn from science that you must doubt the experts. As a matter of fact, I can also define science another way: Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“In physics the truth is rarely perfectly clear, and that is certainly universally the case in human affairs. Hence, what is not surrounded by uncertainty cannot be the truth.”
― Richard P. Feynman

“-Life is too short to worry about stupid things. Have fun. Fall in love. Regret nothing, and don't let people bring you down. Study, think, create, and grow. Teach yourself and teach others.”
― Richard P. Feynman

“To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates of hell.

And so it is with science.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Is science of any value? I think a power to do something is of value. Whether the result is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how it is used, but the power is a value.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“It doesn't seem to me that this fantastically marvelous universe, this tremendous range of time and space and different kinds of animals, and all the different planets, and all these atoms with all their motions, and so on, all this complicated thing can merely be a stage so that God can watch human beings struggle for good and evil - which is the view that religion has. The stage is too big for the drama.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-You do not know anything until you have practiced.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“The most remarkable discovery in all of astronomy is that the stars are made of atoms of the same kind as those on the earth.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“We have this terrible struggle to try to explain things to people who have no reason to want to know.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Of course, you only live one life, and you make all your mistakes, and learn what not to do, and that's the end of you.”
― Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character



“People often think I'm a faker, but I'm usually honest, in a certain way - in such a way that often nobody believes me!”
― Richard P. Feynman



“It is our responsibility as scientists, to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed and discussed.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I want to marry Arline because I love her - which means I want to take care of her. That is all there is to it. I want to take care of her. I am anxious for the responsibilities and uncertainties of taking care of the girl I love.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-What Do You Care What Other People Think?”
― Richard P. Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman/What Do You Care What Other People Think?



“It's Okay to say "I don't know." The pleasure is in finding things out.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-Learn concepts rather than merely facts.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Scientists are explorers. Philosophers are tourists.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Pompous fools drive me up the wall. Ordinary fools are alright; you can talk to them and try to help them out. But pompous fools – guys who are fools and covering it all over and impressing people as to how wonderful they are with all this hocus pocus – THAT, I CANNOT STAND! An ordinary fool isn’t a faker; an honest fool is all right. But a dishonest fool is terrible!”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Europeans are much more serious than we are in America because they think that a good place to discuss intellectual matters is a beer party.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Words can be meaningless. If they are used in such a way that no sharp conclusions can be drawn.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Until I began to learn to draw, I was never much interested in looking at art.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“-I always do that, get into something and see how far I can go.”
― Richard P. Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character



“If I get stuck, I look at a book that tells me how someone else did it. I turn the pages, and then I say, 'Oh, I forgot that bit,' then close the book and carry on. Finally, after you've figured out how to do it, you read how they did it and find out how dumb your solution is and how much more clever and efficient theirs is!”
― Richard P. Feynman



“We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and no learning. There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt. People search for certainty. But there is no certainty.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Learn what the rest of the world is like. The variety is worthwhile.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“The only way to deep happiness is to do something you love to the best of your ability.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“What do I advise? Forget it all. Don't be afraid. Do what you get the most pleasure from. Is it to build a cloud chamber? Then go on doing things like that. Develop your talents wherever they may lead. Damn the torpedoes - full speed ahead!
If you have any talent, or any occupation that delights you, do it, and do it to the hilt”
― Richard P. Feynman



“I wonder why. I wonder why. I wonder why I wonder.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Work hard to find something that fascinates you.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“The test of all knowledge is experiment.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“One of the signs of intelligence is to be able to accept the facts without being offended.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“Teach principles, not formulas. Understand, don't memorize.”
― Richard P. Feynman



“You learn nothing from life if you think you're right all the time.”

― Richard P. Feynman