--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In early life I had felt a strong desire…" description: "\"In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass containing some camphor, p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg" --- # In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself… ![“In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass containing some camphor, portions of which had been caused to condense in very beautiful crystals on the illuminated side, I was induced to read everything I could obtain…” quote by John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg) > “In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass containing some camphor, portions of which had been caused to condense in very beautiful crystals on the illuminated side, I was induced to read everything I could obtain respecting the chemical and mechanical influences of light, adhesion, and capillary attraction.” [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early fascination with crystal formation sparked a lifelong interest in how light and forces shape matter. **In simple terms:** Crystals inspired his curiosity about light and forces. Key Takeaway Explore how small observations can guide scientific inquiry. Themes curiosity science observation Mood wonder inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - lab research - education - public outreach - museum exhibits Key Concepts photochemistry capillarity material science Questions to Reflect On - What simple phenomena could reveal deeper scientific principles? - How can early curiosity be nurtured into expertise? A Different Perspective May overlook broader context beyond visual appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attraction/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Chemistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemistry/) [Crystals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crystals/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Early life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-life/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Illumination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illumination/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Strong desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-desire/) ## Related quotes > [People will often take an interesting experimental study which has been done in the world, perhaps at small scale, and then it's touted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/people-will-often-take-an-interesting-experimental-study-which-has/) [Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/) > [To be worthy of the name, an experimenter must be at once theorist and practitioner. While he must completely master the art of establishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/to-be-worthy-of-the-name-an-experimenter-must-be-at-once-theorist-and/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [The scientific study of Nature tends not only to correct and ennoble the intellectual conceptions of man; it serves also to ameliorate his physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/the-scientific-study-of-nature-tends-not-only-to-correct-and-ennoble/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [The study of art is a lifetime matter. The best any artist can do is to accumulate all the knowledge possible of art and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-alwin-payne/the-study-of-art-is-a-lifetime-matter-the-best-any-artist-can-do-is/) [Edgar Alwin Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-alwin-payne/) > [I spent half my life, roughly speaking, doing the study of nature in many aspects and half of my life studying completely artificial shapes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benoit-mandelbrot/i-spent-half-my-life-roughly-speaking-doing-the-study-of-nature-in/) [Benoit Mandelbrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benoit-mandelbrot/) > [The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Science brings men nearer to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/the-more-i-study-nature-the-more-i-stand-amazed-at-the-work-of-the/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [The study of nature is a limitless field, the most fascinating adventure in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-morse-nice/the-study-of-nature-is-a-limitless-field-the-most-fascinating/) Margaret Morse Nice > [No occupation is more worthy of an intelligent and enlightened mind, than the study of Nature and natural objects; and whether we labour to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-paxton/no-occupation-is-more-worthy-of-an-intelligent-and-enlightened-mind/) Joseph Paxton > [If we study Nature attentively in its great evolutions as in its minutest works, we cannot fail to recognize the possibility of enchantment -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/if-we-study-nature-attentively-in-its-great-evolutions-as-in-its/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [It is impossible for someone to dispel his fears about the most important matters if he doesn't know the nature of the universe but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/it-is-impossible-for-someone-to-dispel-his-fears-about-the-most/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Art does not imitate nature, but founds itself on the study of nature, takes from nature the selections which best accord with its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/art-does-not-imitate-nature-but-founds-itself-on-the-study-of-nature/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [There is no subject more captivating, more worthy of study, than nature. To understand this great mechanism, to discover the forces which are active,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/there-is-no-subject-more-captivating-more-worthy-of-study-than-nature/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [All the more I study Nature do I revere God, because Nature is all the body of God we will ever know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/all-the-more-i-study-nature-do-i-revere-god-because-nature-is-all-the/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [The study of nature with a view to works is engaged in by the mechanic, the mathematician, the physician, the alchemist, and the magician;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-study-of-nature-with-a-view-to-works-is-engaged-in-by-the/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [One can never study nature too much and too hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/one-can-never-study-nature-too-much-and-too-hard/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## More by John William Draper > [Science has never sought to ally herself with civil power. She has never subjected anyone to mental torment, physical torment, least of all death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/science-has-never-sought-to-ally-herself-with-civil-power-she-has/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Is it at all surprising that the number of those who hold the opinions of the Church in light esteem should so rapidly increase?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/is-it-at-all-surprising-that-the-number-of-those-who-hold-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [How can the Church be received as a trustworthy guide in the invisible, which falls into so many errors in the visible?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/how-can-the-church-be-received-as-a-trustworthy-guide-in-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [So great was the preference given to sacred over profane learning that Christianity had been in existence fifteen hundred years, and had not produced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/so-great-was-the-preference-given-to-sacred-over-profane-learning/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [A divine revelation must necessarily be intolerant of contradiction; it must repudiate all improvement in itself, and view with disdain that arising from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/a-divine-revelation-must-necessarily-be-intolerant-of-contradiction/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [I have to deplore the systematic manner in which the literature of Europe has continued to put out of sight our obligations to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/i-have-to-deplore-the-systematic-manner-in-which-the-literature-of/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [The scientific study of Nature tends not only to correct and ennoble the intellectual conceptions of man; it serves also to ameliorate his physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/the-scientific-study-of-nature-tends-not-only-to-correct-and-ennoble/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Is it not true that for every person the course of life is along the line of least resistance, and that in this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/is-it-not-true-that-for-every-person-the-course-of-life-is-along-the/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Experimental investigation, to borrow a phrase employed by Kepler respecting the testing of hypotheses, is "a very great thief of time." Sometimes it costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/experimental-investigation-to-borrow-a-phrase-employed-by-kepler/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [In England Giordano Bruno had given lectures on the plurality of worlds, and in that country had written, in Italian, his most important works.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-england-giordano-bruno-had-given-lectures-on-the-plurality-of/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [As to Science, she has never sought to ally herself to civil power. She has never attempted to throw odium or inflict social ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/as-to-science-she-has-never-sought-to-ally-herself-to-civil-power-she/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [How is it that the Church produced no geometer in her autocratic reign of twelve hundred years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/how-is-it-that-the-church-produced-no-geometer-in-her-autocratic/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Over events, we may have some control, but over the law of life's progress none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/over-events-we-may-have-some-control-but-over-the-law-of-life-s/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/four-years-after-the-death-of-justinian-a-d-569-was-born-at-mecca-in/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) > [The history of Science is not a mere record of isolated discoveries; it is a narrative of the conflict of two contending powers, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/the-history-of-science-is-not-a-mere-record-of-isolated-discoveries/) [John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) [Explore all 20 John William Draper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/) ## More Attraction quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [You cannot perceive what you are not in the vibration of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-anka/you-cannot-perceive-what-you-are-not-in-the-vibration-of/) [Darryl Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-anka/) > [What the Laws of Attraction are really about; how to harness the power of creation within you to make life what you truly desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/what-the-laws-of-attraction-are-really-about-how-to-harness-the-power/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action, and you do it through your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-are-the-one-who-calls-the-law-of-attraction-into-action-and-you/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [The vast majority of people are born, grow up, struggle and go through life in misery and failure, not realizing that it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-vast-majority-of-people-are-born-grow-up-struggle-and-go-through/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to surmise that war has a perverse appeal for the human race, nor is the attraction limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/you-don-t-have-to-be-sigmund-freud-to-surmise-that-war-has-a-perverse/) [Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/) > [It doesn't matter if they say you can't do it. It only matters if you say you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/it-doesn-t-matter-if-they-say-you-can-t-do-it-it-only-matters-if-you/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [If you want to find greater happiness and fulfillment in your life, you must begin to understand and live in harmony with the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/if-you-want-to-find-greater-happiness-and-fulfillment-in-your-life/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/focus-on-being-grateful-for-what-you-have-already-enjoy-it-then/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [All of my work is meant to evoke a whole bunch of different layers of discord between the attraction and repulsion that we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jordan/all-of-my-work-is-meant-to-evoke-a-whole-bunch-of-different-layers-of/) [Chris Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jordan/) > [War is thus divine in itself, since it is a law of the world. War is divine through its consequences of a supernatural nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/war-is-thus-divine-in-itself-since-it-is-a-law-of-the-world-war-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [As your awareness of the riches available to you in your everyday life grows, you are on the way to becoming the laughing Buddha.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/as-your-awareness-of-the-riches-available-to-you-in-your-everyday/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) [Browse all 2,005 Attraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attraction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and, happening to see a glass containing some camphor, portions of which had been caused to condense in very beautiful crystals on the illuminated side, I was induced to read everything I could obtain respecting the chemical and mechanical influences of light, adhesion, and capillary attraction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John William Draper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire-to-devote-myself-to-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attraction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire-to-devote-myself-to-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/john-william-draper-27492_attraction_in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire_2457108.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In early life I had felt a strong desire to devote myself to the experimental study of nature; and…” — John William Draper", "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": "John William Draper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In early life I had felt...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire-to-devote-myself-to-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/in-early-life-i-had-felt-a-strong-desire-to-devote-myself-to-the/#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 } } ] } ```