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The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true science. He who knows it not, and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead. We all had this priceless talent when we were young. But as time goes by, many of us lose it. The true scientist never loses the faculty of amazement. It is the essence of his being.
Hans Selye
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of wonder and curiosity in science and life, suggesting that losing the capacity to be amazed diminishes our intellectual vitality.

Hans Selye's quote highlights the critical role of mystery and wonder in the pursuit of knowledge, particularly in science. He argues that the ability to experience amazement is essential for true understanding and discovery, implying that as we grow older, we often become desensitized to the wonders around us. This loss stifles our appreciation for the world and the inquisitive spirit that fuels science and innovation. The essence of a true scientist lies in their persistent curiosity and lifelong quest for understanding the mysteries of existence.

Themes

WonderCuriosityScienceMysteryAmazementIntellect

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared during a science presentation to inspire students to embrace their curiosity.

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Quote by Hans Selye | QuoteProject