Synopsis – A biography about a scientist life and their view on the world, but not an already scientist, one with a different take on things.
Key Takeaways
Page 23 – They were completely comfortable with each other. It was my problem to be comfortable. It was a wonderful experience.
You are responsible for your own experience
Page 24 – 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!
The learn the right way, via understanding
Page 123 – Maybe I was fooling myself, but I was surprised how I didn’t feel what I thought people would expect to feel under the circumstances. I wasn’t delighted, but I didn’t feel terribly upset, perhaps because I had known for several years that something like this was going to happen.
We all mourn in our own way
Page 125 – And Von Neumann gave me an interesting idea, that you don’t have to be responsible for the world that you are in. So I have developed a very powerful sense of social irresponsibility as a result of Von Neumann advice.
We do our best and that’s it, we can’t be responsible for the outcome
Page 128 – And I would go along and I would see people building a bridge, or they’d be making a new road, and I thought, they’re crazy, they just don’t understand, they don’t understand. Why are they making new things? It’s so useless. But, fortunately, it’s been useless for almost forty years now, hasn’t it? So I’ve been wrong about it being useless making bridges and I’m glad those other people had the sense to go ahead.
Just keep going and do all the work you can
Page 161 – I don’t believe I can really do without teaching, the reason is, I have to have something so that when I do not have any ideas and I’m not getting anywhere I can say to myself. “At least I’m living; at least I’m doing something; I’m making some contribution” – it’s just psychological.
Always have something to do
Page 168 – And then I thought to myself, “You know, what they think of you is so fantastic, it’s impossible to live up to it. You have no responsibility to live up to it!” It was a brilliant idea; 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. I am what I am, and if they expected me to be good and they’re offering me some money for it, its their hard luck.
As the above, just do what you can
Page 170 – It was effortless. It was easy to play with these things. It was like uncorking a bottle; Everything flowed out effortlessly. I almost tried to resist it! There was no importance to what I was doing, but ultimately there was. The diagrams and the whole busines that I go the Nobel Prize for came from that piddling around with the wobbling plate.
Freedom from expectations will help free your mind and do your best work
Page 198 – So I learned how to look at life in a way that’s different from the way it is where I come from. First, they weren’t in the same hurry that I was. And second, if its better for you, never mind! So I gave the lectures in the morning and enjoyed the beach in the afternoon.
Live your life in a way that works for you.
Final Thoughts – A great book about how someone with immense intelligence had fun and enjoyed their life. It has great soties and even better lessons. For example; Look for understanding, have fun with things and do what you enjoy, don’t feel responsible for everything and do what suits you. 8/10
Stranger in Sydney 