--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A scientist's life, the author says, is…" description: "\"A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed conflictual, formed by battles, defeats, and victories: but the adversary is always and only the unknown..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg" --- # A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed… ![“A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed conflictual, formed by battles, defeats, and victories: but the adversary is always and only the unknown, the problem to be solved, the mystery to be clarified. It is never a matter of civil war; even though of different opinions, or of different…” quote by Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg) > “A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed conflictual, formed by battles, defeats, and victories: but the adversary is always and only the unknown, the problem to be solved, the mystery to be clarified. It is never a matter of civil war; even though of different opinions, or of different political leanings, scientists dispute each other, they compete, but they do not battle: they are bound together by a strong alliance, by the common faith "in the validity of Maxwell's or Boltzmann's equations," and by the common acceptance of Darwinism and the molecular structure of DNA.” [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science is a continual struggle against unknown problems, not personal conflict, united by shared truths. **In simple terms:** Scientists fight unknowns, not each other. Key Takeaway Focus on solving problems, not rivalry. Themes science conflict collaboration knowledge truth Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - academic debates - policy discussions - public outreach Key Concepts epistemology methodology paradigm shifts Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep focus on the problem, not the person? - What shared truths unite your field? A Different Perspective Human biases can turn collaboration into competition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Adversaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) [Alliances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Darwinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinism/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Different opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-opinions/) [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Scientist life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist-life/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/everybody-s-a-mad-scientist-and-life-is-their-lab/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [Man tries to make for himself in the fashion that suits him best a simplified and intelligible picture of the world; he then tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/man-tries-to-make-for-himself-in-the-fashion-that-suits-him-best-a-2/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I was always very curious about what a scientist's life was like when I was young. Of course, when I was young, you didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-was-always-very-curious-about-what-a-scientist-s-life-was-like-when/) [James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/) > [A scientist lives with all reality. There is nothing better. To know reality is to accept it, and eventually to love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-scientist-lives-with-all-reality-there-is-nothing-better-to-know/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Science is, on the whole, an informal activity, a life of shirt sleeves and coffee served in beakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-porter/science-is-on-the-whole-an-informal-activity-a-life-of-shirt-sleeves/) [George Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-porter/) > [When I talk about the pain and hardship of a scientist's life, I'm speaking of more than existential angst. Galileo's work was condemned by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-m-lederman/when-i-talk-about-the-pain-and-hardship-of-a-scientist-s-life-i-m/) [Leon M. Lederman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-m-lederman/) > [In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken..."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-science-it-often-happens-that-scientists-say-you-know-that-s-a-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/everybody-s-a-mad-scientist-and-life-is-their-lab-we-re-all-trying-to/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [This is what the painter, the poet, the speculative philosopher, and the natural scientists do, each in his own fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/this-is-what-the-painter-the-poet-the-speculative-philosopher-and-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“ Qu'une goutee de vin tombe dans un verre d'eau; quelle que soit la loi du movement interne du liquide, nous verrons bientôt se…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/qu-une-goutee-de-vin-tombe-dans-un-verre-d-eau-quelle-que-soit-la-loi/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“In despair, I offer your readers their choice of the following definitions of entropy. My authorities are such books and journals as I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-herbert-evershed/in-despair-i-offer-your-readers-their-choice-of-the-following/) Sydney Herbert Evershed > [Actually, my favourite roles have been in theatre, but on TV, my faves were Slap Maxwell and Larry Sanders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-gallagher/actually-my-favourite-roles-have-been-in-theatre-but-on-tv-my-faves/) [Megan Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-gallagher/) > [Leadership belongs to all of us. I'm a big believer in John Maxwell, a leadership speaker and author, who talks about the 360-degree leader.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/leadership-belongs-to-all-of-us-i-m-a-big-believer-in-john-maxwell-a/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John C. Maxwell”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/a-leader-is-one-who-knows-the-way-goes-the-way-and-shows-the-way-john/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“From a long view of the history of mankind-seen from, say, ten thousand years from now-there can be little doubt that the most significant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/from-a-long-view-of-the-history-of-mankind-seen-from-say-ten-thousand/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) ## More by Primo Levi > [I too entered the Lager as a nonbeliever, and as a nonbeliever I was liberated and have lived to this day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/i-too-entered-the-lager-as-a-nonbeliever-and-as-a-nonbeliever-i-was/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [Man is a centaur, a tangle of flesh and mind, divine inspiration and dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/man-is-a-centaur-a-tangle-of-flesh-and-mind-divine-inspiration-and/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [Our ignorance allowed us to live, as you are in the mountains, and your rope is frayed and about to break, but you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/our-ignorance-allowed-us-to-live-as-you-are-in-the-mountains-and-your/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Válka, to je hlavně velký zmatek, na poli i v lidských hlavách: často člověk ani nechápe, kdo vlastně vítězí a kdo prohrává, o tom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/v-lka-to-je-hlavn-velk-zmatek-na-poli-i-v-lidsk-ch-hlav-ch-asto-lov-k/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“An extreme case of the distortion of the memory of a committed guilty act is found in its suppression. Here, too, the borderline between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/an-extreme-case-of-the-distortion-of-the-memory-of-a-committed-guilty/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“It was the shame we knew so well, the shame that drowned us after the selections, and every time we had to watch, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/it-was-the-shame-we-knew-so-well-the-shame-that-drowned-us-after-the/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [An enemy who sees the error of his ways ceases to be an enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/an-enemy-who-sees-the-error-of-his-ways-ceases-to-be-an-enemy/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Willingly or not we come to terms with power, forgetting that we are all in the ghetto, that the ghetto is walled in, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/willingly-or-not-we-come-to-terms-with-power-forgetting-that-we-are/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [Nothing can be said: nothing sure, nothing probable, nothing honest. Better to err through omission than through commission: better to refrain from steering the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/nothing-can-be-said-nothing-sure-nothing-probable-nothing-honest/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“We were also born," Line said abruptly. Mendel questioned her with a look, and Line tried to clarify her thought: "Born, expelled. Russia conceived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/we-were-also-born-line-said-abruptly-mendel-questioned-her-with-a/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“They are the typical product of the structure of the German Lager: if one offers a position of privilege to a few individuals in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/they-are-the-typical-product-of-the-structure-of-the-german-lager-if/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [Anyone who has obeyed nature by transmitting a piece of gossip experiences the explosive relief that accompanies the satisfying of a primary need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/anyone-who-has-obeyed-nature-by-transmitting-a-piece-of-gossip/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [I beg the reader not to go in search of messages. It is a term that I detest because it distresses me greatly, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/i-beg-the-reader-not-to-go-in-search-of-messages-it-is-a-term-that-i/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“One of them declared: 'Doing this work, one either goes crazy the first day or gets accustomed to it.' Another, though: 'Certainly I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/one-of-them-declared-doing-this-work-one-either-goes-crazy-the-first/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [For me chemistry represented an indefinite cloud of future potentialities which enveloped my life to come in black volutes torn by fiery flashes, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/for-me-chemistry-represented-an-indefinite-cloud-of-future/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) [Explore all 130 Primo Levi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed conflictual, formed by battles, defeats, and victories: but the adversary is always and only the unknown, the problem to be solved, the mystery to be clarified. It is never a matter of civil war; even though of different opinions, or of different political leanings, scientists dispute each other, they compete, but they do not battle: they are bound together by a strong alliance, by the common faith \"in the validity of Maxwell's or Boltzmann's equations,\" and by the common acceptance of Darwinism and the molecular structure of DNA.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Primo Levi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-indeed-conflictual-formed-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-indeed-conflictual-formed-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/primo-levi-2751_acceptance_a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-in_1514933.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A scientist's life, the author says, is indeed conflictual, formed by battles, defeats, and victories: but…” — Primo Levi", "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": "Primo Levi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A scientist's life, the author says,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-indeed-conflictual-formed-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/a-scientist-s-life-the-author-says-is-indeed-conflictual-formed-by/#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 } } ] } ```