Nobody . . . took me seriously. They wondered why in the world I wanted to be a chemist when no women were doing that. The world was not waiting for me.
Gertrude B. ElionRead
Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In my day I was told women didn't go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn't.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hard work is essential for achieving valuable goals, despite discouragement from others.
This quote emphasizes the importance of perseverance and hard work in realizing one's dreams and ambitions, particularly in the face of societal discouragement. Gertrude B. Elion, a trailblazer in the chemistry field, acknowledges that worthwhile achievements often come after significant effort and that one should not be swayed by the naysayers who impose limitations based on gender or other biases.
Themes
Hard WorkPerseveranceMotivationSuccessGender EqualityChemistry
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used as encouragement during a graduation speech.
More from Gertrude B. Elion
All quotes →The Nobel Prize is fine, but the drugs I've developed are rewards in themselves.
Gertrude B. ElionRead
I had fallen in love with a young man... and we were planning to get married. And then he died of subacute bacterial endocarditis... Two years later with the advent of penicillin, he would have been saved. It reinforced in my mind the importance of scientific discovery...
Gertrude B. ElionRead
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