16 Stephen Hawking Quotes That Might Lead You to the Meaning of Life
Updated: Nov. 16, 2018Stephen Hawking is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists in modern history, but he also had an incredible way with words.
On despair
“Black holes ain’t as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole both on the outside and possibly to another universe. So if you feel you are in a black hole, don’t give up—there’s a way out.” —BBC Reith Lecture, January 2016.
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On laughter
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” —New York Times interview, December 2004
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On giving life meaning
“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” —ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, June 2010.
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On imperfection
“Without imperfection, you or I would not exist.” —Into The Universe With Stephen Hawking on the Discovery Channel in 2010
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On opportunity
“Most of the threats we face come from the progress we’ve made in science and technology. We are not going to stop making progress, or reverse it, so we must recognize the dangers and control them. I’m an optimist, and I believe we can.” —RadioTimes Q&A, January 2016
On perseverance
“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” —Cambridge symposium, January 2012.
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On high spirits
“My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.” —New York Times interview, December 2004
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On how to live
“We should seek the greatest value of our action.” —The Guardian interview, May 2011.
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On aggression
“The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or a partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all.” —Science Museum tour speech, February 2015
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On research
“Humanity’s deepest desire for knowledge is justification enough for our continuing quest. And our goal is nothing less than a complete description of the universe we live in.” —A Brief History of Time, 1998.
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On hardships
“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.” —New York Times Q&A, May 2011.
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On death
“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.” —The Guardian interview, May 2011 (Here’s the real reason Stephen Hawking outlived his fatal disease by 55 years.)
On having fun
“Just because I do a lot of thinking doesn’t mean I don’t like parties and getting into trouble.” —RadioTimes Q&A, January 2016
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On life’s problems
“While physics and mathematics may tell us how the universe began, they are not much use in predicting human behaviour because there are far too many equations to solve. I’m no better than anyone else at understanding what makes people tick, particularly women.” —Time Q&A, November 2010
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On experience
“Only in the few universes that are like ours would intelligent beings develop and ask the question: ‘Why is the universe the way we see it?’ The answer is then simple: If it had been any different, we would not be here!” —A Brief History of Time, 1998
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