---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a philosophy that has guided me…"
description: "\"I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of my scientific career, and that is, I think of myself as a fairly thoughtful person. I don't go..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png"
---

#  I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of…

![“I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of my scientific career, and that is, I think of myself as a fairly thoughtful person. I don't go into projects impetuously, and I try to select important problems.” quote by Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png)

> “I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of my scientific career, and that is, I think of myself as a fairly thoughtful person. I don't go into projects impetuously, and I try to select important problems.”

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Thoughtful selection of research problems leads to meaningful scientific contributions.

**In simple terms:** Choose important problems wisely.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize impact over speed.

Themes

scientific method decision‑making focus

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- grant writing
- lab meetings
- career planning

Key Concepts

cognitive psychology research strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance curiosity and practicality?
- What criteria define an important problem?

A Different Perspective

Over‑analysis can delay progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/)

## Related quotes

> [My journalist sensibilities have guided me toward the types of projects I've gone for, even though the projects have been fairly diverse. It always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/my-journalist-sensibilities-have-guided-me-toward-the-types-of/)

[Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/)

> [I think of myself as a fairly logical, scientific and somewhat reserved person. Maura Isles, the Boston medical examiner who appears in five of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-think-of-myself-as-a-fairly-logical-scientific-and-somewhat/)

[Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/)

> [My wife and I have four children, and none of them are in lab science, so clearly I returned home at night and presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-agre/my-wife-and-i-have-four-children-and-none-of-them-are-in-lab-science/)

[Peter Agre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-agre/)

> [The kinder and more thoughtful a person is, the more kindness they can find in other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-kinder-and-more-thoughtful-a-person-is-the-more-kindness-they-can/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The thing that I loved about growing up Mormon is that I had morals and standards instilled in me as a kid - like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/the-thing-that-i-loved-about-growing-up-mormon-is-that-i-had-morals/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [I always saw myself as this quiet, introspective, thoughtful person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-rogers/i-always-saw-myself-as-this-quiet-introspective-thoughtful-person/)

[Maggie Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-rogers/)

> [Ideally, our rules should be formed in such a fashion that an ordinary helpful kind thoughtful person doesn't really even need to know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/ideally-our-rules-should-be-formed-in-such-a-fashion-that-an-ordinary/)

[Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/)

> [The kinder and the more thoughtful a person is, the more kindness he can find in other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-kinder-and-the-more-thoughtful-a-person-is-the-more-kindness-he/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [Nothing can be compared to the new life that the discovery of another country provides for a thoughtful person. Although I am still the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nothing-can-be-compared-to-the-new-life-that-the-discovery-of-another/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [It was only through the years that I realized what an absolutely extraordinarily thoughtful person Dr. King was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/it-was-only-through-the-years-that-i-realized-what-an-absolutely/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [Mark Frankel was just a very tender, thoughtful person, and that was really nice. At that point in life, I hadn't met a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-brannagh/mark-frankel-was-just-a-very-tender-thoughtful-person-and-that-was/)

[Brigid Brannagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-brannagh/)

> [“For those who feel that being nice, and saying Hello, smiling, leaving special messages for people got you no where but rejection and hurt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-nicole/for-those-who-feel-that-being-nice-and-saying-hello-smiling-leaving/)

[Brigitte Nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-nicole/)

> [Being a sensitive, thoughtful person opens you up for criticism and being affected by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/being-a-sensitive-thoughtful-person-opens-you-up-for-criticism-and/)

[Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/)

> [I went into journalism for a reason. I try to be a thoughtful person. I try to see all sides. And I do think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/i-went-into-journalism-for-a-reason-i-try-to-be-a-thoughtful-person-i/)

[Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/)

> [For those that feel that being kind hearted to people got you nothing but rejection and hurt, do not let that change the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-nicole/for-those-that-feel-that-being-kind-hearted-to-people-got-you-nothing/)

[Brigitte Nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-nicole/)

## More by Eric Kandel

> [“Indeed, the underlying precept of the new science of mind is that all mental processes are biological—they all depend on organic molecules and cellular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/indeed-the-underlying-precept-of-the-new-science-of-mind-is-that-all/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [In the 1950s and early 1960s, psychoanalysis swept through the intellectual community, and it was the dominant mode of thinking about the mind. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/in-the-1950s-and-early-1960s-psychoanalysis-swept-through-the/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [In art, as in science, reductionism does not trivialize our perception - of color, light, and perspective - but allows us to see each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/in-art-as-in-science-reductionism-does-not-trivialize-our-perception/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [I don't think neurobiology is going to replace aesthetics or art history. It's a parallel discipline that adds a new dimension. I always compare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-don-t-think-neurobiology-is-going-to-replace-aesthetics-or-art/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [One of the ultimate challenges of biology is to understand how the brain becomes consciously aware of perception, experience and emotion. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/one-of-the-ultimate-challenges-of-biology-is-to-understand-how-the/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [I see psychoanalysis, art and biology ultimately coming together, just like cognitive psychology and neuroscience have merged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-see-psychoanalysis-art-and-biology-ultimately-coming-together-just/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [The brain is a complex biological organ possessing immense computational capability: it constructs our sensory experience, regulates our thoughts and emotions, and controls our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/the-brain-is-a-complex-biological-organ-possessing-immense/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [Ever since the Enlightenment, people thought that we were living in a rational universe. They thought that God was a mathematician and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/ever-since-the-enlightenment-people-thought-that-we-were-living-in-a/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [I was interested in the nature of human mental processes, which is what got me interested in psychoanalysis. And it became clear to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-was-interested-in-the-nature-of-human-mental-processes-which-is/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [It may act as an ancillary factor, but by itself, the mutation in tau doesn't give you Alzheimer's disease. This is not to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/it-may-act-as-an-ancillary-factor-but-by-itself-the-mutation-in-tau/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [If you have a lesion in the hippocampus in both sides, you have short term memory, but you can convert that short term memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/if-you-have-a-lesion-in-the-hippocampus-in-both-sides-you-have-short/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [My heart beats in three-quarter time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/my-heart-beats-in-three-quarter-time/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [Vienna is relatively small. And it had wonderful salons, opportunities for people to get together. There was a lot of interaction between scientists and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/vienna-is-relatively-small-and-it-had-wonderful-salons-opportunities/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [Rather than studying the most complex form of memory in a very complicated animal, we had to take the most simple form - an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/rather-than-studying-the-most-complex-form-of-memory-in-a-very/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [Since Socrates and Plato first speculated on the nature of the human mind, serious thinkers through the ages - from Aristotle to Descartes, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/since-socrates-and-plato-first-speculated-on-the-nature-of-the-human/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

[Explore all 67 Eric Kandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

## More Career quotes

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

Alison James

> [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/)

[Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/)

> [There are so many things you can do with your life, you can go to school and study toward your career, you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/there-are-so-many-things-you-can-do-with-your-life-you-can-go-to/)

[Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/)

> [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/)

[Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/)

> [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/)

[Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/)

> [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/)

[Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/)

> [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/)

[Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/)

> [“The vocation of a man lies in his vision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-vocation-of-a-man-lies-in-his-vision/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/)

[John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/)

> [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/)

[Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/)

> [You can have a career and kids who love you. But you have to nurture yourself and find a way to be fulfilled so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-reitman/you-can-have-a-career-and-kids-who-love-you-but-you-have-to-nurture/)

[Catherine Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-reitman/)

> [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Even though I'm already successful and have a career, it is always good to have your eggs in more than one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-abraham/even-though-i-m-already-successful-and-have-a-career-it-is-always/)

[Farrah Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-abraham/)

[Browse all 11,387 Career quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of my scientific career, and that is, I think of myself as a fairly thoughtful person. I don't go into projects impetuously, and I try to select important problems.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eric Kandel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-throughout-all-of-my/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Career"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-throughout-all-of-my/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/eric-kandel-10189_career_i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-t_2122635.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have a philosophy that has guided me throughout all of my scientific career, and that is, I think of…” — Eric Kandel",
                "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": "Eric Kandel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have a philosophy that has...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-throughout-all-of-my/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/i-have-a-philosophy-that-has-guided-me-throughout-all-of-my/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
