The most common form of despair is not being who you are. And yet the self is not a fixed thing to be discovered, but a possibility to be created — which is perhaps why so many prefer the despair.

Søren Kierkegaard — The Sickness Unto Death

@underscored

existentialismidentityself-creation

Feynman began to glimpse the special powerlessness that medical uncertainty can inflict on a scientific person. He had come to believe that the scientific way of thinking brought a measure of calmness and control in difficult situations — but not now.

Maria Popova

@underscored

sciencemortalityuncertainty

It is not the possession of truth, but the success which attends the seeking after it, that enriches the seeker and brings happiness to him.

Max Planck — The Philosophy of Physics

@underscored

curiosityscienceepistemology