Appreciated Quote by Jack W. Szostak
“I have generally sought to work on questions that I thought were both interesting and approachable, yet not too widely appreciated. To struggle to make discoveries that would be made by others a short time later seems futile to me.”
About This Quote
Source Scientific Interview, 2020
Pursuing interesting, approachable yet under‑appreciated questions avoids redundant discoveries.
In simple terms: Seek unique, approachable questions.
Key Takeaway
Target novel, tractable problems.
Themes
research
innovation
originality
efficiency
Mood
reflective
strategic
Type
philosophical
professional
When to use this quote
- academic research
- startup R&D
- grant writing
Key Concepts
science philosophy
epistemology
career strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- What under‑explored problem excites you?
- How do you assess a question’s originality?
A Different Perspective
Novelty may be hard to gauge; risk of low impact.
![“We make our discoveries while in the state [of high functioning] because then we are clear-sighted.” quote by Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/81d/robert-henri-1803_clear_we-make-our-discoveries-while-in-the-sta_894204.jpg)
