--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Greater even than the greatest discovery…" description: "\"Greater even than the greatest discovery is to keep open the way to future discovery.\" — John Jacob Abel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/john-jacob-abel-92908_discovery_greater-even-than-the-greatest-discovery_268593.png" --- # Greater even than the greatest discovery is to keep open… ![“Greater even than the greatest discovery is to keep open the way to future discovery.” quote by John Jacob Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/john-jacob-abel-92908_discovery_greater-even-than-the-greatest-discovery_268593.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/john-jacob-abel-92908_discovery_greater-even-than-the-greatest-discovery_268593.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/john-jacob-abel-92908_discovery_greater-even-than-the-greatest-discovery_268593.png) > “Greater even than the greatest discovery is to keep open the way to future discovery.” [John Jacob Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jacob-abel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping discovery open is greater than any single breakthrough. **In simple terms:** Being open to future discoveries outweighs any one finding. Key Takeaway Maintain openness to new ideas. Themes discovery innovation future openness research Mood inspirational optimistic Type scientific philosophical motivational When to use this quote - research labs - academic conferences - technology development - personal learning Key Concepts scientific mindset creative curiosity progressive thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does openness foster innovation? - What barriers limit future discovery? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Discovery Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery-open-398132/) [Future Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-discovery-2630313/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Greater Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater-greatest-1080785/) [Greatest Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-discovery-363635/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The sure ways to create new ventures of discovery are to keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/the-sure-ways-to-create-new-ventures-of-discovery-are-to-keep-an-open/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [No one "discovers" the future. The future is not a discovery. The future is not a destiny. The future is a decision, an intervention.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/no-one-discovers-the-future-the-future-is-not-a-discovery-the-future/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [“Everybody is great, some are considered greater but the greatest is GOD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/almon/everybody-is-great-some-are-considered-greater-but-the-greatest-is-god/) [Almon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/almon/) > [What you have to give, you offer least of all through what you say; in greater part through what you do; but in greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-burg/what-you-have-to-give-you-offer-least-of-all-through-what-you-say-in/) [Bob Burg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-burg/) > [Charles Darwin made arguably the greatest discovery any human has ever made. He was a man of great persistence. He wasn't probably a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/charles-darwin-made-arguably-the-greatest-discovery-any-human-has/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The greatest discovery of the 21st century will be the discovery that Man was not meant to live at the speed of light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-greatest-discovery-of-the-21st-century-will-be-the-discovery-that/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-any-generation-is-that-a-human-being-can/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“The greatest discovery is to be founded by God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-greatest-discovery-is-to-be-founded-by-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [My greatest discovery has been my love of boredom and to get fun out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-torma/my-greatest-discovery-has-been-my-love-of-boredom-and-to-get-fun-out/) [Julien Torma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-torma/) > [The greatest discovery in life is to discover that our essential nature does not share the limits nor the destiny of the body and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-spira/the-greatest-discovery-in-life-is-to-discover-that-our-essential/) [Rupert Spira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-spira/) > [“The greatest discovery is to find a hero within oneself that will choose life over death; and fight for hope through despair to possess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/the-greatest-discovery-is-to-find-a-hero-within-oneself-that-will/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [“The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-discovery-of-any-generation-is-that-a-human-can-alter/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“The greatest discovery in life is the knowledge of the Will of GOD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-suulola/the-greatest-discovery-in-life-is-the-knowledge-of-the-will-of-god/) [Benjamin Suulola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-suulola/) > [This is the greatest discovery of the scientific enterprise: You take hydrogen gas, and you leave it alone, and it turns into rosebuds, giraffes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/this-is-the-greatest-discovery-of-the-scientific-enterprise-you-take/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [By far the greatest discovery of all the centuries is the power of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-haanel/by-far-the-greatest-discovery-of-all-the-centuries-is-the-power-of/) [Charles F. Haanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-haanel/) ## More by John Jacob Abel > [As soon as we touch the complex processes that go on in a living thing, be it plant or animal, we are at once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jacob-abel/as-soon-as-we-touch-the-complex-processes-that-go-on-in-a-living/) [John Jacob Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jacob-abel/) [Explore all 2 John Jacob Abel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jacob-abel/) ## More Discovery quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Throughout my work, I have assumed that the standard model is correct, and hence, the Higgs boson should be found. 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Christ-like love applauds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-we-look-at-the-love-of-christ-we-make-a-wonderful-discovery-love/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/education-is-a-progressive-discovery-of-our-own-ignorance/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. 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