The following Stephen Hawking quotes on life will help inspire you and help you and understand the brilliance of the world-renowned physicist who passed away on March 14 at the age of 76.
To many, Hawking was recognized as one of the greatest living scientists and is best known for his research and theories on black holes. In the scientific community, he had a huge influence on how scientists viewed the universe.
Hawking was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21 and he wasn’t expected to live past 25. For decades, Hawking was paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair and used a computer system and voice synthesizer to generate speech so he can communicate with others.
Through the course of his career, Hawking has made generous contributions to various fields of science. Aside from him opening minds to the wonders of the universe, there are many Stephen Hawking quotes that could easily be a source of inspiration to get you through the day or to stimulate your mind and help you understand the world around us.
Below are 20 Stephen Hawking quotes about life, science, the universe and the galaxy beyond us. Appreciate and celebrate the life of one of the world’s most recognized scientists through these words of wisdom.
Stephen Hawking quotes
1: “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
2: “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
3: “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.”
4: “It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years.”
5: “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
6: “We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.”
7: “We are all different, but we share the same human spirit. Perhaps it’s human nature that we adapt and survive.”
8: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
9: “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”
10: “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I’m not afraid of death, but I’m in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first.”
11: “God may exist, but science can explain the universe without the need for a creator.
12: “Quiet people have the loudest minds.”
13: “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
14: “People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”
15: “In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.”
16: “Science can lift people out of poverty and cure disease. That, in turn, will reduce civil unrest.”
17: “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”
18: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”
19: “My [physician assistant] reminds me that although I have a PhD in physics, women should remain a mystery.”
20: “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.
