--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most powerful determinant of whether…" description: "\"The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on in science might be whether anyone encourages her to go on.\" — Eileen Pollack" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg" --- # The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on… ![“The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on in science might be whether anyone encourages her to go on.” quote by Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg) > “The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on in science might be whether anyone encourages her to go on.” [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouragement heavily influences women's persistence in scientific fields. **In simple terms:** Support decides if women stay in science. Key Takeaway Provide mentorship and encouragement. Themes gender equity science education mentorship Mood hopeful determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - school labs - college programs - research teams - career counseling Key Concepts self-efficacy social support STEM persistence Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions institutionalize support? - What barriers persist despite encouragement? A Different Perspective If systemic bias exists, encouragement alone may not suffice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [Showing women being scientists on television can have a great impact on who actually goes into science as a profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-bishe/showing-women-being-scientists-on-television-can-have-a-great-impact/) [Kerry Bishe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-bishe/) > [I believe in singing to such an extent that, if I were asked to redesign the British educational system, I would start by insisting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-believe-in-singing-to-such-an-extent-that-if-i-were-asked-to/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Because I live in the countryside, I want a building which encourages me to have a fully formed relationship with the environment. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccloud/because-i-live-in-the-countryside-i-want-a-building-which-encourages/) [Kevin McCloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccloud/) > [Never look at the brass - it only encourages them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-strauss/never-look-at-the-brass-it-only-encourages-them/) [Richard Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-strauss/) > [I think that good storytelling of any kind does promote a humility in that it encourages you to see the world the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/i-think-that-good-storytelling-of-any-kind-does-promote-a-humility-in/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [Competition keeps you on your toes, encourages you to do better, so it's actually a must for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhushan-kumar/competition-keeps-you-on-your-toes-encourages-you-to-do-better-so-it/) [Bhushan Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhushan-kumar/) > [Everything encourages you not to tell stories of gay lives. There is no economy yet for that kind of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/everything-encourages-you-not-to-tell-stories-of-gay-lives-there-is/) [Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/) > [Many different relationships among patients, doctors, and drugs are possible and desirable. As in so many other areas of life, the Internet encourages experimentation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/many-different-relationships-among-patients-doctors-and-drugs-are/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [It is not unfortunate that today, obscenity is being encourages in the name of modernity; unfortunate is that the young generation is happily adopting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/it-is-not-unfortunate-that-today-obscenity-is-being-encourages-in-the/) Mak\_786 > [Anything that encourages a boy to open a book, in a world of more violent and therefore more compelling video games, is something I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/anything-that-encourages-a-boy-to-open-a-book-in-a-world-of-more/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I can assure you we are all strong-willed, forceful personalities and the president encourages vigorous debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/i-can-assure-you-we-are-all-strong-willed-forceful-personalities-and/) [Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/) > [Natural selection has duped us with an emotion that encourages group thinking. It is an emotion that makes us act as if for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pagel/natural-selection-has-duped-us-with-an-emotion-that-encourages-group/) [Mark Pagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pagel/) > [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I have no doubts. I know what gets in the way and I know what encourages me to do more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-no-doubts-i-know-what-gets-in-the-way-and-i-know-what/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) ## More by Eileen Pollack > [I write and teach creative nonfiction. I was a reporter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/i-write-and-teach-creative-nonfiction-i-was-a-reporter/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [“If you're making love to a man of God, then God must endorse your lovemaking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/if-you-re-making-love-to-a-man-of-god-then-god-must-endorse-your/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [I was nearly as far behind in calculus as I was in physics. But I wasn't the only woman in the class, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/i-was-nearly-as-far-behind-in-calculus-as-i-was-in-physics-but-i-wasn/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [Many of my friends are scientists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/many-of-my-friends-are-scientists/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [I miss my former teachers, John Hersey and James Alan McPherson. I would love to see either or both and ask what I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/i-miss-my-former-teachers-john-hersey-and-james-alan-mcpherson-i/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [Figuring out why people who choose not to do something don't in fact do it is like attempting to interview the elves who live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/figuring-out-why-people-who-choose-not-to-do-something-don-t-in-fact/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [Judging the political climate in my state by walking around lefty Ann Arbor is like a polar bear judging global warming by staring at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/judging-the-political-climate-in-my-state-by-walking-around-lefty-ann/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [When I was in 7th grade, we were all given an exam. It was science and math, and the boys who did well were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/when-i-was-in-7th-grade-we-were-all-given-an-exam-it-was-science-and/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [If you're a white male growing up in this society, you're constantly receiving encouragement to go on in science in the form of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/if-you-re-a-white-male-growing-up-in-this-society-you-re-constantly/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [I think women need to hear more encouragement in any field, because I see it - I teach creative writing. And even though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/i-think-women-need-to-hear-more-encouragement-in-any-field-because-i/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [My brother had been given a chemistry set for his bar mitzvah, but he wasn't interested in it. It was upstairs in the attic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/my-brother-had-been-given-a-chemistry-set-for-his-bar-mitzvah-but-he/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [Given that many girls are indoctrinated to believe that they should be feminine and modest about their abilities, as well as brought up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/given-that-many-girls-are-indoctrinated-to-believe-that-they-should/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [To make computer science more attractive to women, we might help young women change how they think about themselves and what's expected of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/to-make-computer-science-more-attractive-to-women-we-might-help-young/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [If a person's self-worth derives from being the only woman in the field, how much affection can she feel toward another woman who might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/if-a-person-s-self-worth-derives-from-being-the-only-woman-in-the/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) > [We still raise girls to look to other people for assurance they are attractive and smart, while boys are raised to determine their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/we-still-raise-girls-to-look-to-other-people-for-assurance-they-are/) [Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) [Explore all 43 Eileen Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/) ## More Encourages quotes > [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [I have no doubts. I know what gets in the way and I know what encourages me to do more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-no-doubts-i-know-what-gets-in-the-way-and-i-know-what/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [Natural selection has duped us with an emotion that encourages group thinking. It is an emotion that makes us act as if for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pagel/natural-selection-has-duped-us-with-an-emotion-that-encourages-group/) [Mark Pagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pagel/) > [I can assure you we are all strong-willed, forceful personalities and the president encourages vigorous debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/i-can-assure-you-we-are-all-strong-willed-forceful-personalities-and/) [Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/) > [Anything that encourages a boy to open a book, in a world of more violent and therefore more compelling video games, is something I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/anything-that-encourages-a-boy-to-open-a-book-in-a-world-of-more/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [It is not unfortunate that today, obscenity is being encourages in the name of modernity; unfortunate is that the young generation is happily adopting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/it-is-not-unfortunate-that-today-obscenity-is-being-encourages-in-the/) Mak\_786 > [Many different relationships among patients, doctors, and drugs are possible and desirable. As in so many other areas of life, the Internet encourages experimentation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/many-different-relationships-among-patients-doctors-and-drugs-are/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Everything encourages you not to tell stories of gay lives. There is no economy yet for that kind of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/everything-encourages-you-not-to-tell-stories-of-gay-lives-there-is/) [Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/) > [Competition keeps you on your toes, encourages you to do better, so it's actually a must for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhushan-kumar/competition-keeps-you-on-your-toes-encourages-you-to-do-better-so-it/) [Bhushan Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhushan-kumar/) > [I think that good storytelling of any kind does promote a humility in that it encourages you to see the world the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/i-think-that-good-storytelling-of-any-kind-does-promote-a-humility-in/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [Never look at the brass - it only encourages them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-strauss/never-look-at-the-brass-it-only-encourages-them/) [Richard Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-strauss/) > [Because I live in the countryside, I want a building which encourages me to have a fully formed relationship with the environment. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccloud/because-i-live-in-the-countryside-i-want-a-building-which-encourages/) [Kevin McCloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccloud/) > [I believe in singing to such an extent that, if I were asked to redesign the British educational system, I would start by insisting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-believe-in-singing-to-such-an-extent-that-if-i-were-asked-to/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [God encourages those who are troubled, and will always be there to help you in your time of need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-seaport/god-encourages-those-who-are-troubled-and-will-always-be-there-to/) [Pauline Seaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-seaport/) Browse all 71 Encourages quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on in science might be whether anyone encourages her to go on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eileen Pollack" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether-a-woman-goes-on-in-science/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Encourages" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether-a-woman-goes-on-in-science/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/eileen-pollack-15253_encourages_the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether_3148680.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The most powerful determinant of whether a woman goes on in science might be whether anyone encourages her…” — Eileen Pollack", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eileen Pollack", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The most powerful determinant of whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether-a-woman-goes-on-in-science/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/the-most-powerful-determinant-of-whether-a-woman-goes-on-in-science/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```