Richard P. Feynman Quotes

Quotes about:

• If you can't explain something to a first year student, then you haven't really understood .

  Richard P. Feynman

  Years, Firsts, Students

  115 Copy quote

• I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Answers

  263 Copy quote

• It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Beautiful, Smart, Science

  149 Copy quote

• Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don't think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn't stop you from doing anything at all.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Falling In Love, Thinking, Interesting

  241 Copy quote

• Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Ignorance, Science, Thinking

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.291, Princeton University Press

  125 Copy quote

• The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Clever, Love Life, Science

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.345, Princeton University Press

  109 Copy quote

• If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Thinking, Mechanic, Quantum

  189 Copy quote

• We never are definitely right, we can only be sure we are wrong.

  Richard P. Feynman

  41 Copy quote

• Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Philosophy, Science, Technology

  100 Copy quote

• You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Simplicity

  55 Copy quote

• Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Inspirational, Encouraging, Education

  Richard P. Feynman (2008). “Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman”, p.256, Hachette UK

  250 Copy quote

• Don't pay attention to "authorities," think for yourself.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Thinking, Attention, Pay

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.320, Princeton University Press

  61 Copy quote

• We need to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed. It's OK to say, "I don't know."

  Richard P. Feynman

  Learning, Doubt, Needs

  66 Copy quote

• I'm smart enough to know that I'm dumb.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Smart, Grace, Dumb

  81 Copy quote

• The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Laughter, Inspiration, Compassion

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.92, Princeton University Press

  56 Copy quote

• Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Sex, Learning, Science

  195 Copy quote

• Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Responsibility, Unreasonable, Human Race

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.359, Princeton University Press

  139 Copy quote

• No government has the right to decide on the truth of scientific principles, nor to prescribe in any way the character of the questions investigated. Neither may a government determine the aesthetic value of artistic creations, nor limit the forms of literacy or artistic expression. Nor should it pronounce on the validity of economic, historic, religious, or philosophical doctrines. Instead it has a duty to its citizens to maintain the freedom, to let those citizens contribute to the further adventure and the development of the human race.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Religious, Philosophical, Character

  "The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist". Book by Richard Feynman, 1999.

  113 Copy quote

• The only way to deep happiness is to do something you love to the best of your ability

  Richard P. Feynman

  Way, Ability, Deep Happiness

  77 Copy quote

• We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and no learning. There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt. People search for certainty. But there is no certainty.

  Richard P. Feynman

  People, Doubt, Progress

  "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out". Book by Richard P. Feynman, 1999.

  79 Copy quote

• You do not know anything until you have practiced.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Knows

  24 Copy quote

• First you guess. Don't laugh, this is the most important step. Then you compute the consequences. Compare the consequences to experience. If it disagrees with experience, the guess is wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It doesn't matter how beautiful your guess is or how smart you are or what your name is. If it disagrees with experience, it's wrong. That's all there is to it.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Beautiful, Smart, Science

  26 Copy quote

• I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Inspirational, Motivational, Education

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.6, Princeton University Press

  161 Copy quote

• 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.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Life, Confidence, Powerful

  Richard P. Feynman (2010). “"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character: Adventures of a Curious Character”, p.172, W. W. Norton & Company

  215 Copy quote

• Scientists are explorers. Philosophers are tourists.

  Richard P. Feynman

  Science, Tourists, Philosopher

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.113, Princeton University Press

  64 Copy quote

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