Nothing is so dangerous to the progress of the human mind than to assume that our views of science are ultimate, that there are no mysteries in nature, that our triumphs are complete and that there are no new worlds to conquer.
Humphry DavyRead
To me there never has been a higher source of honour or distinction than that connected with advances in science. I have not possessed enough of the eagle in my character to make a direct flight to the loftiest altitudes in the social world; and I certainly never endeavored to reach those heights by using the creeping powers of the reptile, who in ascending, generally chooses the dirtiest path, because it is the easiest.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The highest honor comes from significant contributions to science, not from social status achieved through unethical means.
In this quote, Humphry Davy emphasizes that true honor and distinction arise from advancements in science rather than seeking social status through dishonest or unworthy actions. He contrasts the dignified pursuit of knowledge and scientific achievement with the base behavior of those who might achieve social success through cunning or deception, implying that integrity and intellectual contributions are far more valuable and respectable.
Themes
HonorScienceIntegrityAchievementSocial Status
In practice
Example use cases
During a science fair, I quoted Humphry Davy to inspire students about the importance of contributions to science.
More from Humphry Davy
All quotes →We must reason in natural philosophy not from what we hope, or even expect, but from what we perceive.
Humphry DavyRead
Every discovery opens a new field for investigation of facts, shows us the imperfection of our theories. It has justly been said, that the greater the circle of light, the greater the boundary of darkness by which it is surrounded.
Humphry DavyRead
The whole language of nature informs us, that in animated beings there is something above our powers of investigation; something which employs, combines, and arranges the gross elements of matter - a spark of celestial fire, by which life is kindled and preserved, and which, if even the instruments it employs are indestructible in their essence, must itself, of necessity, be immortal.
Humphry DavyRead
The progression of physical science is much more connected with your prosperity than is usually imagined. You owe to experimental philosophy some of the most important and peculiar of your advantages. It is not by foreign conquests chiefly that you are become great, but by a conquest of nature in your own country.
Humphry DavyRead
Geology, perhaps more than any other department of natural philosophy, is a science of contemplation. It requires no experience or complicated apparatus, no minute processes upon the unknown processes of matter. It demands only an enquiring mind and senses alive to the facts almost everywhere presented in nature. And as it may be acquired without much difficulty, so it may be improved without much painful exertion.
Humphry DavyRead
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Anyone who can contemplate quantum mechanics without getting dizzy hasn't understood it.
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