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It can hardly be a matter for surprise that our race has not succeeded in solving any large part of its most difficult problems in the first millionth part of its existence. Perhaps life would be a duller affair if it had. for to many it is not knowledge but the quest for knowledge that gives the greater interest to thought - to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.

James Jeans#41

HumilityInquiryKnowledgeLifeProgressThinkingTravel

About this quote

What does it mean?
Humanity has barely begun solving big problems given our short history. The pursuit of knowledge matters more than the destination.
In plain terms
We are early in our history and the search for answers is more interesting than the answers themselves.
What can you take from it?
Value the process of learning over immediate results.

Where it applies

  • personal growth
  • scientific research
  • philosophical reflection

Putting it to work

  • focus on learning goals
  • embrace curiosity

Questions to consider

  • What matters more to you: the answer or the search?
  • How does this view change your approach to difficult tasks?

Another view

Some practical problems require actual solutions not just the quest.

More from James Jeans

  1. Physics and philosophy are at most a few thousand years old, but probably have lives of thousands of millions of years stretching away in front of them. They a…

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  2. How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics.

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  3. When two hypotheses are possible, we provisionally choose that which our minds adjudge to be simpler, on the supposition that this is the more likely to lead i…

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