--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In science, self-satisfaction is death…" description: "\"In science, self-satisfaction is death. Personal self-satisfaction is the death of the scientist. Collective self-satisfaction is the death of the rese..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jacques-monod-18055_agony_in-science-self-satisfaction-is-death-pe_2263104.jpg" --- # In science, self-satisfaction is death. Personal… ![“In science, self-satisfaction is death. Personal self-satisfaction is the death of the scientist. Collective self-satisfaction is the death of the research. It is restlessness, anxiety, dissatisfaction, agony of mind that nourish science.” quote by Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jacques-monod-18055_agony_in-science-self-satisfaction-is-death-pe_2263104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jacques-monod-18055_agony_in-science-self-satisfaction-is-death-pe_2263104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jacques-monod-18055_agony_in-science-self-satisfaction-is-death-pe_2263104.jpg) > “In science, self-satisfaction is death. Personal self-satisfaction is the death of the scientist. Collective self-satisfaction is the death of the research. It is restlessness, anxiety, dissatisfaction, agony of mind that nourish science.” [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complacency halts progress; continual curiosity and discomfort drive scientific discovery. **In simple terms:** Being satisfied stops learning. Key Takeaway Embrace doubt and keep questioning. Themes curiosity progress science discomfort growth Mood reflective inquisitive serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - academic careers - innovation projects - personal development Key Concepts philosophy of science motivation creative tension Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay uncomfortable without burning out? - What practices keep your curiosity alive? A Different Perspective Complacency can also lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Collectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectives/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-personal-731424/) [Dissatisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissatisfaction/) [Enquiry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enquiry/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Personal satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-satisfaction/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Restlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restlessness/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Satisfaction Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction-death-408077/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-self-254789/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-satisfaction/) ## Related quotes > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“To perceive others as fully human means to be saddened by the death of every single person, regardless of the population, group, or part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livingstone-smith/to-perceive-others-as-fully-human-means-to-be-saddened-by-the-death/) [David Livingstone Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livingstone-smith/) > [Persons in great stations have seldom their true character drawn till several years after their death. Their personal friendships and enmities must cease, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/persons-in-great-stations-have-seldom-their-true-character-drawn-till/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“For death is personal only for the person itself, that is to the extent it is accepted, embraced, it can be personal for him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-semprun/for-death-is-personal-only-for-the-person-itself-that-is-to-the/) [Jorge Semprún](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-semprun/) > [From adolescence to death there is something very personal about being a Negro in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-saunders-redding/from-adolescence-to-death-there-is-something-very-personal-about/) [Jay Saunders Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-saunders-redding/) > [One must desire something to be alive; perhaps absolute satisfaction is only another name for Death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/one-must-desire-something-to-be-alive-perhaps-absolute-satisfaction/) [Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/) > [“The Ladies Buddenbrook from Breite Strasse did not weep, however - it was not their custom. Their faces, a little less caustic than usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/the-ladies-buddenbrook-from-breite-strasse-did-not-weep-however-it/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [I've always been a dreamer and follow an old saying: 'Satisfaction is a death of desire.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naughty-boy/i-ve-always-been-a-dreamer-and-follow-an-old-saying-satisfaction-is-a/) [Naughty Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naughty-boy/) > [Satisfaction is the death of ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-yanofsky/satisfaction-is-the-death-of-ambition/) [Nikki Yanofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-yanofsky/) > [“Death is a personal matter, arousing sorrow, despair, fervor, or dry-hearted philosophy. Funerals, on the other hand, are social functions. Imagine going to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/death-is-a-personal-matter-arousing-sorrow-despair-fervor-or-dry/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I've always been so curious about death. With my personal beliefs as a Baha'i, we believe that birth and death are very similar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-baldoni/i-ve-always-been-so-curious-about-death-with-my-personal-beliefs-as-a/) [Justin Baldoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-baldoni/) > [“I will give no one the satisfaction of my death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-will-give-no-one-the-satisfaction-of-my-death/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [Many a man has decided to stay alive not because of the will to live but because of the determination not to give assorted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-behan/many-a-man-has-decided-to-stay-alive-not-because-of-the-will-to-live/) [Brendan Behan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-behan/) > [“She wanted to die. She wanted to die. Because then it would be over. All the loss, all the grief, all the pain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sagara-west/she-wanted-to-die-she-wanted-to-die-because-then-it-would-be-over-all/) [Michelle Sagara West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sagara-west/) > [Science is a self-sufficient activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-miller/science-is-a-self-sufficient-activity/) [Jonathan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-miller/) ## More by Jacques Monod > [One of the great problems of philosophy, is the relationship between the realm of knowledge and the realm of values. Knowledge is what is;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/one-of-the-great-problems-of-philosophy-is-the-relationship-between/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Modern societies accepted the treasures and the power offered them by science. But they have not accepted - they have scarcely even heard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/modern-societies-accepted-the-treasures-and-the-power-offered-them-by/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Man's destiny is nowhere spelled out, nor is his duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/man-s-destiny-is-nowhere-spelled-out-nor-is-his-duty/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. Yet the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/among-all-the-occurrences-possible-in-the-universe-the-a-priori/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The fundamental biological variant is DNA. That is why Mendel's definition of the gene as the unvarying bearer of hereditary traits, its chemical identification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-fundamental-biological-variant-is-dna-that-is-why-mendel-s/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [In science there is and will remain a Platonic element which could not be taken away without ruining it. Among the infinite diversity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/in-science-there-is-and-will-remain-a-platonic-element-which-could/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [One may well find oneself beginning to doubt whether all this could conceivably be the product of an enormous lottery presided over by natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/one-may-well-find-oneself-beginning-to-doubt-whether-all-this-could/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Even today a good many distinguished minds seem unable to accept or even to understand that from a source of noise natural selection alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/even-today-a-good-many-distinguished-minds-seem-unable-to-accept-or/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Every living being is also a fossil. Within it, all the way down to the microscopic structure of its proteins, it bears the traces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/every-living-being-is-also-a-fossil-within-it-all-the-way-down-to-the/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [There are living systems; there is no'living matter'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/there-are-living-systems-there-is-no-living-matter/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Evolution in the biosphere is therefore a necessarily irreversible process defining a direction in time; a direction which is the same as that enjoined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/evolution-in-the-biosphere-is-therefore-a-necessarily-irreversible/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [“When one ponders on the tremendous journey of evolution over the past three billion years or so, the prodigious wealth of structures it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/when-one-ponders-on-the-tremendous-journey-of-evolution-over-the-past/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The future of mankind is going to be decided within the next two generations, and there are two absolute requisites: We must aim at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-future-of-mankind-is-going-to-be-decided-within-the-next-two/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The scientific attitude implies the postulate of objectivity-that is to say, the fundamental postulate that there is no plan; that there is no intention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-scientific-attitude-implies-the-postulate-of-objectivity-that-is/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [There are living systems; there is no living "matter." No substance, no single molecule, extracted and isolated from a living being possess, of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/there-are-living-systems-there-is-no-living-matter-no-substance-no/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) [Explore all 35 Jacques Monod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) ## More Agony quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. 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I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Anger was a reliable defense, but one that allowed no chance of final victory. Anger was a medicine but never a cure, briefly numbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/anger-was-a-reliable-defense-but-one-that-allowed-no-chance-of-final/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The cure is in the house, not brought by other hands from distant places, but by its own, in agony and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-cure-is-in-the-house-not-brought-by-other-hands-from-distant/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Being ill like this combines shock - this time I will die - with a pain and agony that are unfamiliar, that wrench me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-brodkey/being-ill-like-this-combines-shock-this-time-i-will-die-with-a-pain/) [Harold Brodkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-brodkey/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [There’s been a problem, a problem eating away at me from the inside out. I’ve become weak, I’ve shown human compassion, and it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/there-s-been-a-problem-a-problem-eating-away-at-me-from-the-inside/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [Pay special attention to their agony so I might take some pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/pay-special-attention-to-their-agony-so-i-might-take-some-pleasure/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Die, enemies of Ra!" Sekhemet yelled. "Perish in agony!" "She's almost as annoying as you," I told Horus. "Impossible," Horus said. "No one bests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/die-enemies-of-ra-sekhemet-yelled-perish-in-agony-she-s-almost-as/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) [Browse all 813 Agony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In science, self-satisfaction is death. 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