--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The scientist is motivated primarily by…" description: "\"The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.\" — Irving Langmuir" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png" --- # The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a… ![“The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.” quote by Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png) > “The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.” [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientists pursue knowledge because they are driven by curiosity and a quest for truth. **In simple terms:** Scientists work for curiosity and truth. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity in research. Themes science curiosity truth motivation Mood inquisitive reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - laboratory research - academic inquiry - innovation - problem solving Key Concepts Epistemology intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can curiosity be balanced with societal needs? - What drives you to seek truth? A Different Perspective Curiosity alone may not secure funding or practical impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Curiosity Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity-desire-273395/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Primarily Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primarily-curiosity-5553439/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Scientist Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist-motivated-5553438/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [His sudden mad love for Sibyl Vane was a psychological phenomenon of no small interest. There was no doubt that curiosity had much to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/his-sudden-mad-love-for-sibyl-vane-was-a-psychological-phenomenon-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [My choice of learning pharmacy was driven by my interests, curiosity, and a desire to seek new medicines for patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tu-youyou/my-choice-of-learning-pharmacy-was-driven-by-my-interests-curiosity/) [Tu Youyou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tu-youyou/) > [I've always been blessed, or cursed, some might say, with an insatiable curiosity, a desire to find something out about a people and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-ve-always-been-blessed-or-cursed-some-might-say-with-an-insatiable/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [There was no doubt that curiosity had much to do with it, curiosity and the desire for new experiences; yet it was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-was-no-doubt-that-curiosity-had-much-to-do-with-it-curiosity/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To read is to surrender oneself to an endless displacement of curiosity and desire from one sentence to another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/to-read-is-to-surrender-oneself-to-an-endless-displacement-of-2/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“The value the world sets upon motives is often grossly unjust and inaccurate. Consider, for example, two of them: mere insatiable curiosity and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/the-value-the-world-sets-upon-motives-is-often-grossly-unjust-and/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [The life of a mathematician is dominated by an insatiable curiosity, a desire bordering on passion to solve the problems he is studying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dieudonne/the-life-of-a-mathematician-is-dominated-by-an-insatiable-curiosity-a/) [Jean Dieudonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dieudonne/) > [Many of the things that have happened in the laboratory have happened in ways it would have been impossible to foresee, but not impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/many-of-the-things-that-have-happened-in-the-laboratory-have-happened/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Science, almost from its beginnings, has been truly international in character. National prejudices disappear completely in the scientist's search for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/science-almost-from-its-beginnings-has-been-truly-international-in/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [We didn't set out to be educators or even scientists, and we don't purport that what we do is real science but we're demonstrating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/we-didn-t-set-out-to-be-educators-or-even-scientists-and-we-don-t/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [Scientists are convinced that they, as scientists, possess a number of very admirable human qualities, such as accuracy, observation, reasoning power, intellectual curiosity, tolerance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-standen/scientists-are-convinced-that-they-as-scientists-possess-a-number-of/) [Anthony Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-standen/) > [ My colleagues in elementary particle theory in many lands \[and I\] are driven by the usual insatiable curiosity of the scientist, and our work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-gell-mann/my-colleagues-in-elementary-particle-theory-in-many-lands-and-i-are/) [Murray Gell-Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-gell-mann/) > [But weightier still are the contentment which comes from work well done, the sense of the value of science for its own sake, insatiable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-joseph-henderson/but-weightier-still-are-the-contentment-which-comes-from-work-well/) [Lawrence Joseph Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-joseph-henderson/) > [I love to be a scientist. I've always enjoyed being curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-hell/i-love-to-be-a-scientist-i-ve-always-enjoyed-being-curious/) [Stefan Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-hell/) > [If I could find the right kind of property, get tied in with the right movie, I'd love to be involved, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/if-i-could-find-the-right-kind-of-property-get-tied-in-with-the-right/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) ## More by Irving Langmuir > [Many of the things that have happened in the laboratory have happened in ways it would have been impossible to foresee, but not impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/many-of-the-things-that-have-happened-in-the-laboratory-have-happened/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Science, almost from its beginnings, has been truly international in character. National prejudices disappear completely in the scientist's search for truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/science-almost-from-its-beginnings-has-been-truly-international-in/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Only a small part of scientific progress has resulted from planned search for specific objectives. A much more important part has been made possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/only-a-small-part-of-scientific-progress-has-resulted-from-planned/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [This coupling together of science with international peace, is, I think, particularly significant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/this-coupling-together-of-science-with-international-peace-is-i-think/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Happy indeed is the scientist who not only has the pleasures which I have enumerated, but who also wins the recognition of fellow scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/happy-indeed-is-the-scientist-who-not-only-has-the-pleasures-which-i/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [To my mind, the most important aspect of the Nobel Awards is that they bring home to the masses of the peoples of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/to-my-mind-the-most-important-aspect-of-the-nobel-awards-is-that-they/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Train yourselves. Don't wait to be fed knowledge out of a book. Get out and seek it. Make explorations. Do your own research work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/train-yourselves-don-t-wait-to-be-fed-knowledge-out-of-a-book-get-out/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [Medicine also disregards national boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/medicine-also-disregards-national-boundaries/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [History proves abundantly that pure science, undertaken without regard to applications to human needs, is usually ultimately of direct benefit to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/history-proves-abundantly-that-pure-science-undertaken-without-regard/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [ \[There\] are cases where there is no dishonesty involved but where people are tricked into false results by a lack of understanding about what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/there-are-cases-where-there-is-no-dishonesty-involved-but-where/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [A chemist who does not know mathematics is seriously handicapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/a-chemist-who-does-not-know-mathematics-is-seriously-handicapped/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [And literature frequently rises to heights that make it international.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/and-literature-frequently-rises-to-heights-that-make-it-international/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) > [\[In the case of research director, Willis R. Whitney, whose style was to give talented investigators as much freedom as possible, you may define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/in-the-case-of-research-director-willis-r-whitney-whose-style-was-to/) [Irving Langmuir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) [Explore all 14 Irving Langmuir quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/) ## More Curiosity quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Curiosity Can Kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anison/curiosity-can-kill/) [Anison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anison/) > [“So curious you must be. Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [How do we know that we have a right to kill creatures that we are so little above, as dogs, for our curiosity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/how-do-we-know-that-we-have-a-right-to-kill-creatures-that-we-are-so/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [There is nothing so carking as the pangs of unsatisfied curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/there-is-nothing-so-carking-as-the-pangs-of-unsatisfied-curiosity/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [As long as your curiosity is greater than your fear, you will move forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-your-curiosity-is-greater-than-your-fear-you-will-move/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it sure has earned a lot of people graduate degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-irving/curiosity-may-have-killed-the-cat-but-it-sure-has-earned-a-lot-of/) [Robyn Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-irving/) [Browse all 2,721 Curiosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Langmuir" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by-curiosity-and-a-desire-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Curiosity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by-curiosity-and-a-desire-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b3/irving-langmuir-34598_curiosity_the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by_701631.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth.” — Irving Langmuir", "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": "Irving Langmuir", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-langmuir/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The scientist is motivated primarily by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by-curiosity-and-a-desire-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-langmuir/the-scientist-is-motivated-primarily-by-curiosity-and-a-desire-for/#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 } } ] } ```