3 Quotes from Stephen Hawking That Will Elevate Your Thinking

Stephen Hawking was one of the smartest men in all of history. Although he was paralyzed, he still shared his intelligence with the world thanks to his infrared switch mounted onto his spectacles. Imagine communicating by twitching your cheek. That’s what Hawking did to share his knowledge.

Born in 1942, Hawking is best known for his discovery that black holes emit radiation which can be detected by special instrumentation. His discovery has made the detailed study of black holes possible.

He was almost entirely paralyzed, but he still managed to share his brilliance with the world. After contributing so much to science and the world, here are three quotes from Stephen Hawking that will help elevate the way we think.

Quote #1

My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.

— Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking graduated from Oxford, one of the most prestigious colleges around. He made it one of his life goals to understand how and why the universe exists at all.

Thanks to his curiosity about the world, he’s helped millions of us understand exactly what’s going on. Here are his top six biggest discoveries:

Singularities — 1970

Laws of Black hole mechanics — 1971–72

Cosmic Inflation Theory — 1982

Model on the wave function of the Universe — 1983

“A Brief History of Time” his famous book published in 1988

Top-Down Theory on Cosmology — 2006

As someone who isn’t particularly fascinated by science, I can admire and respect the discoveries someone took time to learn. Hawking was paralyzed and had to learn how to communicate through a technological chair and still made it happen.

If I were to apply this quote to my own life, I would trust and believe in the scientists who spend their entire lives learning how the universe works. I would raise more concerns and curiosity about why life functions the way it does.

Curiosity sparks more discovery.

Quote #2

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.

— Stephen Hawking

This quote may be incredibly short, but it offers so much insight. Many people think that intelligence is based on how much knowledge you have. But according to Stephen Hawking, it’s only your ability to adapt to change.

When you’re put outside of your comfort zone, you have to adapt. Whether you’re learning a new subject or moving to a new place, you’re going to have to rely on your wits to succeed.

Hawking makes me think about the kids who go to college for their four-year degrees, go into the real world, and struggle. It’s because they haven’t been taught how to adapt to change. The kids who started working, grinding, and figuring things out themselves gain the experience and do alright themselves.

As long as you’re putting yourself outside of your comfort zone, you’re going to make it out alive and succeed in whatever you do. That’s intelligence.

Quote #3

We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. — Stephen Hawking

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Many people think that the most intelligent people are the happiest. That’s false because having so much knowledge about everything can be overwhelming.

Being smart can lead to seeing everything in a pessimistic way because it could be better. The feeling of never being satisfied could oversaturate the brain and begin to lead downhill. It’s better to have intelligence rather than none at all, but it can be a battle.

People love to compare their IQ’s or roast each other about smarts. In school, many people envy the students who have school come to them easily because it seems like they don’t have to put in as much work as the rest of us.

Knowledge is power if you can use it to your advantage, and that’s exactly what Stephen Hawking is saying here.

Takeaway

Don’t do too much comparing with anyone about smarts or wits. It’s not all that amazing to know everything.

Curiosity is advantageous because it allows us to question how the world works and will ultimately make us more adaptable to change.

“My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”

“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet.”

Take life one day at a time. Try to learn one new thing every day, and you’ll be happy with the progress you make over a lifetime.