Stephen Hawking, born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, United Kingdom, and who passed away on March 14, 2018, was a renowned theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author, and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge. His scientific genius and indomitable spirit allowed him to contribute profoundly to our understanding of the universe despite battling a debilitating disease. Known for his work on black holes and the nature of gravity, Hawking’s broader contributions to science and society were also marked by his commentary on various important contemporary issues, encapsulated in 100 best quotes of Stephen Hawking.
Stephen Hawking Quotes on Personal Virtues and Growth
Stephen Hawking’s reflections on personal virtues and growth are a testament to his belief in the power of human potential despite the physical limitations one might face. His insights encourage personal development, continuous learning, and the cultivation of virtues that not only benefit the individual but also contribute positively to society.
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Character
“Quiet people have the loudest minds.”
“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
“People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”
“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”
“One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Education
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
“I hope to inspire people to look at the stars, not down at their feet.”
“There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, [and] science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works.”
“The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Knowledge
“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion.”
“The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner.”
“Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.”
“One can’t predict the weather more than a few days in advance.”
“It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Intelligence
“We should seek the greatest value of our action.”
“The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.”
“My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”
“It matters if you just don’t give up.”
“I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predetermined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Wisdom
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
“Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humor.”
“The victim should have the right to end his life, if he wants. But I think it would be a great mistake. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.”
“My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Virtue
“Without imperfection, you or I would not exist.”
“No matter how difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”
“Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
“I have found far greater enthusiasm for science in America than here in Britain. There is more enthusiasm for everything in America.”
“You cannot understand the glories of the universe without believing there is some Supreme Power behind it.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Ethics
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.”
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
“I think the next century will be the century of complexity.”
“We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”
“There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Morality
“Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in.”
“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
“If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?”
“If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.”
“I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Courage
“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.”
“Although there was a cloud hanging over my future, I found, to my surprise, that I was enjoying life in the present more than before.”
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.”
“Black holes ain’t as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought.”
“Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Hard Work
“It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else.”
“You just have to have the persistence to go through the barriers, to push on, and your rewards will come.”
“With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.”
“Even if it turns out that time travel is impossible, it is important that we understand why it is impossible.”
“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist…..Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Excellence
“The universe doesn’t allow perfection.”
“To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.”
“I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
“There should be no boundaries to human endeavor. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.”
“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.”
This section showcases Stephen Hawking’s profound insights into the virtues of character, the importance of education and knowledge, and the essential qualities of morality and ethics. His words inspire us to pursue personal growth with courage, hard work, and an unyielding quest for excellence.
Stephen Hawking Quotes on Interpersonal Relations and Inner Life
Stephen Hawking’s thoughts on interpersonal relations and inner life reflect his deep understanding of human emotions and the complexities of personal interactions. He believed in the power of communication, empathy, and maintaining personal connections despite physical limitations.
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Love
“It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”
“My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”
“Science is beautiful when it makes simple explanations of phenomena or connections between different observations.”
“We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”
“Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Happiness
“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
“I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predetermined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.”
“People who boast about their IQ are losers.”
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
“Although my body is very limited, my mind is free to explore the universe.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Soul
“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 regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”
“There is probably no heaven, and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe, and for that, I am extremely grateful.”
“One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.”
“My goal is simple. It is complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Empathy
“We are all different, but we share the same human spirit. Perhaps it’s human nature that we adapt and survive.”
“Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking.”
“It is not necessary to go to heaven to see the universe.”
“Each of us is a small part of a great cosmos.”
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Trust
“The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.”
“I have so much that I want to do. I hate wasting time.”
“One is always a long way from solving a problem until one actually has the answer.”
“Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.”
“There is no unique picture of reality.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Friendship
“People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.”
“The human capacity for guilt is such that people can always find ways to blame themselves.”
“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
“It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else.”
“Although my body is very limited, my mind is free to explore the universe, to contemplate the deeper questions of life.”
Stephen Hawking Quotes on Societal Values and Governance
Stephen Hawking was deeply concerned with societal issues and often expressed his views on the future of humanity, the risks associated with scientific advancements, and the ethical implications of new technologies. His quotes in this section reflect his thoughts on the role of science in society and the responsibilities we hold towards each other and future generations.
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Society
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity.”
“The human race need not be a drag on the resources of our planet indefinitely.”
“We each exist for but a short time, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe.”
“But I think I have made a contribution by showing that disabled people can do nearly everything that able-bodied people can do.”
“The next century will be the century of complexity.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Justice
“I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has yet to appear on planet Earth.”
“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion.”
“In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?”
“I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We’ve created life in our own image.”
“If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Democracy
“Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
“The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right.”
“People should have the right to choose their own fate. Governments should be a tool for the liberation of mankind, not a restrictive force.”
“Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.”
“I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Constitution
“No one can resist the idea of a crippled genius.”
“While physics and mathematics may tell us how the universe began, they are not much use in predicting human behavior because there are far too many equations to solve. I’m no better than anyone else at understanding what makes people tick, particularly women.”
“There is a real danger that computers will develop intelligence and take over. We urgently need to develop direct connections to the brain so that computers can add to human intelligence rather than be in opposition.”
“If we do discover a complete theory, it should be in time understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists.”
“I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Leadership
“I see great dangers for the human race. There have certainly been mass extinctions in the past. It is hard to be optimistic about the future of our planet.”
“As scientists, we step on the shoulders of science, building on the work that has come before us – aiming to inspire a new generation of followers to go further than imagined possible.”
“I believe things cannot make themselves impossible.”
“My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”
“To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Politics
“Governments will not be able to cope once something serious happens.”
“The increase of disorder or entropy with time is one example of what is called an arrow of time, something that gives a direction to time and distinguishes the past from the future.”
“We need to be mindful of the long-term impact of the decisions we make today.”
“Science is increasingly answering questions that used to be the province of religion.”
“The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Government
“We must develop as quickly as possible technologies that make possible a direct connection between brain and computer, so that artificial brains contribute to human intelligence rather than opposing it.”
“Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill.”
“It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”
“Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”
“Governments need not only to provide the infrastructure but also to set an example of how to reduce energy consumption and release of greenhouse gases.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Law
“Theoretical physics is one of the few fields in which being disabled is no handicap – it is all in the mind.”
“I regard the afterlife to be a fairy story for people that are afraid of the dark.”
“I think we have a good chance of surviving long enough to colonize the solar system.”
“Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers. I think the human race has no future if it doesn’t go into space.”
“Not only does God play dice, but… he sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Power
“People who boast about their I.Q. are losers.”
“Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics.”
“We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity.”
“One is always a long way from solving a problem until one actually has the answer.”
“I have so much that I want to do. I hate wasting time.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Community
“We each exist for but a short time, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe.”
“We need to use the curiosity of children to teach them how to always question, to ask questions that increase knowledge, to find answers to problems, that is what I think science is all about.”
“It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value.”
“My advice to other disabled people would be to concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you from doing well.”
“The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities.”
5 Best Stephen Hawking quotes on Cultural Awareness
“Each generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before them, just as I did as a young PhD student in Cambridge, inspired by the work of Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein.”
“It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe, and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. It’s a crazy world out there. Be curious.”
“Science is increasingly answering questions that used to be the province of religion.”
“We should seek the greatest value of our action.”
“I believe things cannot make themselves impossible.”
Final Words on Stephen Hawking Quotes
Stephen Hawking’s quotes offer a profound insight into the mind of one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists of our time. His thoughts on the cosmos, the future of humanity, and the nature of existence challenge us to think beyond the mundane, seek deeper truths, and foster a spirit of curiosity and wonder. The legacy through his 100 best quotes of Stephen Hawking, continues to inspire and educate us about the possibilities within ourselves and the universe around us.
