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Quotes from Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb — James D. Watson

1928–2025 United States

← All quotes by James D. Watson

6 quotes

To have success in science, you need some luck.
But to succeed in science, you need a lot more than luck.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

To make a huge success, a scientist must be prepared to get into deep trouble.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

Be sure you have someone up your sleeve who will save you when you find yourself in deep s—.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

I'm not good enough to do something I dislike. In fact, I find it hard enough to do something that I like.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

Never do anything that bores you.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

To succeed in science, you have to avoid dumb people (here I was still following Luria's example). Now that might sound inexcusably flip, but the fact is that you must always turn to people who are brighter than yourself.

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: James D. Watson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.