“have no respect whatsoever for authority; forget who said it and instead look at what he starts with, where he ends up, and ask yourself, “Is it reasonable?”)”
― What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character
― What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character
“Then the son told me what happened. The last time he was there, Bohr said to his son, “Remember the name of that little fellow in the back over there? He’s the only guy who’s not afraid of me, and will say when I’ve got a crazy idea. So next time when we want to discuss ideas, we’re not going to be able to do it with these guys who say everything is yes, yes, Dr. Bohr. Get that guy and we’ll talk with him first.” I was always dumb in that way. I never knew who I was talking to. I was always worried about the physics. If the idea looked lousy, I said it looked lousy. If it looked good, I said it looked good. Simple proposition. I’ve always lived that way. It’s nice, it’s pleasant—if you can do it. I’m lucky in my life that I can do this.”
― Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character
― Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character
“I noticed that the [drawing] teacher didn't tell people much... Instead, he tried to inspire us to experiment with new approaches. I thought of how we teach physics: We have so many techniques - so many mathematical methods - that we never stop telling the students how to do things. On the other hand, the drawing teacher is afraid to tell you anything. If your lines are very heavy, the teacher can't say, "Your lines are too heavy." because *some* artist has figured out a way of making great pictures using heavy lines. The teacher doesn't want to push you in some particular direction. So the drawing teacher has this problem of communicating how to draw by osmosis and not by instruction, while the physics teacher has the problem of always teaching techniques, rather than the spirit, of how to go about solving physical problems.”
― Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character
― Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character
“I think, however, that there isn't any solution to this problem of education other than to realize that the best teaching can be done only when there is a direct individual relationship between a student and a good teacher --- a situation in which the student discusses the ideas, thinks about the things, and talks about the things.”
― Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
― Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
“Von Neumann gave me an interesting idea: that you don’t have to be responsible for the world that you’re in. So I have developed a very powerful sense of social irresponsibility as a result of Von Neumann’s advice. It’s made me a very happy man ever since. But it was Von Neumann who put the seed in that grew into my active irresponsibility!”
― "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character
― "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character
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