5 Invaluable Life Lessons from Richard Feynman
How the professor taught more than just physics
I started researching about Richard Feynman in my earlier high school when our teacher assigned us to work on any one of the technological disasters of history. I chose to work on the 1986 Challenger Shuttle Disaster as I was very much interested in space science and astronomy. It was then that I came to know about the charisma of Richard Feynman as a human being and as a scientist. I was stunned when, in course of finding more about him, I stumbled upon an old CNN video clip where he demonstrates the failure of O-rings of rocket boosters by using an iron clamp. He does so on live television sitting beside the other members of the Roger’s Commission appointed by the then president of the United States Ronald Reagan. The commission included other important people like Sally Ride and Neil Armstrong.
I then started finding out more about him through books, articles, videos, and lectures, and I was extremely fascinated by the fact that he was one of those very rare people who are born once in a century. Not just did he have the ability to simplify complicated concepts and explain them to general people, but he was one hell of an artist too. A bongo player, a safecracker, an action man, a showman, a teacher, a physicist, and whatnot. The physicist was an iconic character that I can never stop talking about.
I’ve written plenty of articles about the mastermind. In this particular article, however, I shall share with you the five most useful life lessons that we all can learn from the genius. These quotes have been extracted mostly from his books “Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman” and “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” Some statements have been taken from his interviews which shall be mentioned alongside each.
“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.”
Stated in his autobiography Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman. We always burden ourselves with people’s expectations from us when at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is what we think and perceive about ourselves. If you cannot stand up to someone else’s expectations, it isn’t your fault. What’s more important in life is to set goals for oneself, fail, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.
“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.”
Have your visions clear. Set goals. Work hard for them. Feynman himself was a hard worker. He used to spend hours doing math. Before his lectures, he used to prepare himself for hours lecturing an empty classroom, which shows what dedication he had towards his works. When we grow up, our goals are set by our parents, and so we come under that pressure or burden to fulfill those expectations. You need to do what you love doing.
“There is no harm in doubt and skepticism, for it is through these that new discoveries are made.”
As stated in the Value of Science, 1955. Feynman always believed that doubt is important and it is a key to discoveries. Science isn’t certain and if one needs to find out new stuff, make new discoveries, one needs to be in doubt. He once said that even when a scientist is pretty darn sure about something, he is still in some doubt. We cannot always be absolutely sure about everything. This is one of the very important things that isn’t taught in modern schools. We are fed information but we aren’t taught how to doubt and question.
“Not knowing is not a bad thing like they teach you in School. It is an opportunity to learn something.”
The best type of education is the one that teaches you how ignorant you are. It is absolutely okay to not know about things, and it isn’t necessary to opine about something you don’t know about. I do not know about you people, but I’ve come from a school where we had the tradition of punishing if one doesn’t know something. It is considered bad. When you know that you do not know about something, you need to try to learn about it, and not regret that you are ignorant.
“Education isn’t about the ability to remember and repeat, in which people study to pass exams, and teach others to pass exams, but nobody knows anything. It is the ability to learn from experience, to think, solve problems, and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations.”
Feynman talked about this during his visit to Brazil, as stated in his autobiography. He talks about the Brazilian education system here but I think it is equally important and relatable for many schools and colleges all around the world. We prioritize exams and grades so much that we forget the importance of learning something. The true sense of education, Feynman believed, lies in being able to think, doubt, question, and discover, and not just memorize information to pass exams.
Feynman was more than just a physicist or a teacher. He was expressive in nature and knew how to enjoy the moments of his life. He had his visions clear and knew, from a very early age, what he shall do for the rest of his life. The last words of his life were,
I’d hate to die twice. It’s so boring.
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