[There] seems to be a certain arrogance toward nature that people develop. These people have had great insights and made profound discoveries. They imagine afterwards that the fact that they succeeded so triumphantly in one area means they have a special way of looking at science which must be right. But science doesn’t permit that. Nature has shown over and over again that the kinds of truth which underlie nature transcend the most powerful minds.As much I was excited to read that, it was especially neat because of who said that: Subramanyan Chandrasekhar
The quote is from this essay on intellectual humility (ht)
It is a good thing, I suppose, that he left India and came to the US; else, he might have been pushed into the corners of obscurity a la S.N. Bose!
1 comment:
Beautiful point of view. In all walks of life, without humility, it is a one way street to obscurity. Alas, humility seems to be the most difficult virtue to acquire and vanity , the easiest of vices
The point on Chandrasekhar is perhaps interesting, especially for the times he lived in. He really acquired his breakthrough education and discoveries in the UK - but then could only further develop in the US. True for those times - talent can come from anywhere in the world, it was best matured in a great institution of learning in the UK, but can really be built upon only in the US. Remains true today, except that you can argue about the UK bit.....
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