The value the world sets upon motives is often grossly…
““The value the world sets upon motives is often grossly unjust and inaccurate. Consider, for example, two of them: mere insatiable curiosity and the desire to do good. The latter is put high above the former, and yet it is the former that moves one of the most useful men the human race has yet produced: the scientific investigator. What actually urges him on is not some brummagem idea of Service, but a boundless, almost pathological thirst to penetrate the unknown, to uncover the secret, to find out what has not been found out before. His prototype is not the liberator releasing slaves, the good Samaritan lifting up the fallen, but a dog sniffing tremendously at an infinite series of rat-holes.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Society often overvalues altruistic motives and undervalues pure curiosity, yet curiosity drives scientific breakthroughs.
In simple terms: Curiosity is undervalued but fuels discovery.
Key Takeaway
Respect and nurture curiosity.
Themes
motivation
science
values
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research labs
- education
- innovation
- policy making
- public discourse
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we better recognize the role of curiosity in progress?
- What incentives could balance altruism and inquiry?
A Different Perspective
Curiosity can be dismissed as frivolous, limiting support for exploratory work.