Asks Quote by Martin Rees
![“Charles Darwin [is my personal favorite Fellow of the Royal Society]. I suppose as a physical scientist I ought to have chosen Newton. He would have won hands down in an IQ test, but if you ask who was the most attractive personality then Darwin is the one you'd wish to meet. Newton was solitary…” quote by Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a8b/martin-rees-3002_asks_charles-darwin-is-my-personal-favorite-f_1991343.jpg)
“Charles Darwin [is my personal favorite Fellow of the Royal Society]. I suppose as a physical scientist I ought to have chosen Newton. He would have won hands down in an IQ test, but if you ask who was the most attractive personality then Darwin is the one you'd wish to meet. Newton was solitary and reclusive, even vain and vindictive in his later years when he was president of the society.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview with Martin Rees, 2015
Darwin is valued for his engaging personality and ideas, while Newton, though intellectually superior, is seen as isolated and difficult.
In simple terms: Darwin is likable; Newton is distant.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate both brilliance and humanity.
Themes
personality
genius
social dynamics
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
observational
reflective
When to use this quote
- academic discussions
- team projects
- public speaking
- leadership training
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
psychology
history of science
leadership
collaboration
recognition
Questions to Reflect On
- How does charisma affect scientific impact?
- Can solitary work produce lasting influence?
A Different Perspective
Newton’s brilliance may not translate to effective teamwork.
![“We must present a national persona of being irrational and vindictive, because that's going to terrify people. And then, they'll back off. And this is not [Donald] Trump, this is [Bill] Clinton. It's not [Richard] Nixon, you know. We have to be irrational and vindictive, because that's going to…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2d2/noam-chomsky-42_bills_we-must-present-a-national-persona-of-be_215086.jpg)
![“This is real. This is the real mad man theory. We have to be irrational and vindictive, so people don't know what we're up to. This is not [Donald] Trump and [Steve] Bannon, it's from the [Bill] Clinton era.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f8c/noam-chomsky-42_bills_this-is-real-this-is-the-real-mad-man-th_205079.jpg)
