9 Powerful Stephen Hawking Quotes for inspiration

Stephen Hawking Quotes: Stephen Hawking evokes a powerful image in our minds about science, achievement and a life of inspiration. The first image that strikes to most is a person in wheelchair. But what an amazing story of motivation and inspiration for the rest of us to follow. His quotes talk around the themes of passion, determination and perseverance. His talent is beyond question as he has proved himself to the scientific world. In this article, we will talk about some of his most inspiring words that motivate us.

Stephen Hawking Quotes

Here’s a gallery of quotes from Stephen Hawking with images spread across this site. In the later parts of this article, you will find these images along with a short explanation of the meaning of these quotes.

Who is Stephen Hawking?

Stephen William Hawking (8 January 1942 – 14 March 2018) was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Between 1979 and 2009, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, widely viewed as one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world. In 1963, at age 21, Hawking was diagnosed with an early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neurone disease that gradually, over decades, paralysed him.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

Stephen Hawking Achievements

This infographic shows a single page of Stephen Hawking’s achievements. In the field of science, he continues to be an inspiration to many. His personal story of physical limitation acts like a testament that if we put our minds to anything – it is possible to achieve our wildest dreams beyond limitations.

I’m certain we can ensue a debate around the opportunities, challenges and exceptions. However, I’d like to focus on the motivational energy we can drive out of this personality. And the narrative of leading our life beyond limitations is a compelling one which is re-established in this collection of his inspiring quotes.

Stephen Hawking Inspirational words

In this section, we will talk about these quotes from Stephen Hawking in further detail. These inspirational words from Stephen Hawking talk about various themes. Some of the common representations in these quotes are:

• Belief in fate and destiny
• Ignorance and illusion of knowledge
• Facing limitations
• Being thankful vs complaining
• It is alright to make mistakes

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road – Stephen Hawking

What an irony! Fatalists will tell you that everything is already written. There’s no changing preordained stuff! If that were the case, what is the point of working for anything? If fate will take care of our life – we don’t have to do much right?

The problem with relying heavily on fate is that it becomes an easy escape route. There will be no opportunity to fight or create your own mark in the world. Only we have the power to change our life! You’ll see this theme emerge in this collection of Stephen hawking quotes. There is no self-pity, helplessness or demanding attention here, but pure motivation to push us forward.

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road – Stephen Hawking

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent ones are full of doubts and the stupid ones are full of confidence”. What’s the point of knowledge built upon ignorance? If we can’t accept another point of view and challenge ourselves, will we ever grow? Sometimes, we stick to our own theories just cos of intellectual ego and some other times just the sheer ego.

But maybe at a certain point we need to realize that there is great power in truth and learning. Sometimes all we need is that ego shattering, to remove the cloud around our head which keeps telling us that we are the best at everything. Sometimes we need to know that we really suck at a few things and it is really ok. There is no point in just trying to gratify our egos right? We are good at some things and we shall try to be the best at that. We are bad at a few things, let us just accept that and try to find an alternate solution. Why bother denying that?

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.

Stephen Hawking

People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.

Listen to Stephen Hawking Quotes! This was a man who was paralysed at a very young age. He was diagnosed with a rare condition and a deadline of 2 years to live.

• He could have complained about how unfair the world was – it was true wasn’t it?
• Been angry that he could not do the basic things which most people could do at ease.
• That life was really hard and it would be true.

This was a man, one of the most gifted minds of this century, one of the most brilliant men we can ever see or hear of and yet there were a thousand reasons he could complain about.

But that is something which we all can do can’t we? I wouldn’t like to be with someone who complains a lot. We want our life to be happy. Complaining doesn’t give that. In fact it brings us down and makes us feel bitter about life. I would rather be with someone who uplifts my spirit instead of keep complaining as to what is wrong with the world. (Related: Managing Anger and Stress)

If we set out to do it, I am sure there are a lot of things to complain about, but there are more reasons to feel happy about. The trick is to stay above the smaller things in life and look at the bigger picture, a picture of beauty, happiness and hope.

People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.

When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.

What is missing in life? What is it that you would like to have but you don’t? Let me ask you the other question – What do you have in life? What do you have which at one point was just a dream?

• There’s a sense of entitlement about a perfect world and corresponding expectations. It makes us ignore what we have at the moment and keep aspiring for me
• How do you define richness? Is it money, big cars, bungalows, VIP passes? What is it that makes you feel rich?

I am pretty sure every one of us would have a want we would like to fulfil, something that would make us feel more complete – for some it is love, friendship, for some it is career, money; for some it is achievement, recognition; for some it is two square meals a day.

But we cannot live a rich life without really knowing what we have. The way I see it – richness is a choice. We can sit and whine about what we don’t have and feel sad about it. Or we can look at what we have and find ways to fulfil what we don’t. Life is also not just about saying that everything is great when it is not – it is about making that effort to find solutions and lead ourselves to greatness.

And sometimes all we need to do is like Stephen Hawking quotes say – just try and appreciate what we have every once in a while!

When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.

I have always tried to overcome the limitations of my condition and lead as full a life as possible. I have traveled the world, from the Antarctic to zero gravity… Perhaps one day I will go into space.

What is stopping you from what you really want in life? Is it money, intelligence, contacts, people – what is it? As Anthony Robbins says – The only thing that is stopping you from what you really want is life is the story why you can’t have it.

So maybe it is time to stop bullshitting ourselves and look at life in a slightly different way. We all have our own limitations. Sure we would love it if they were not there. It would have been so simple and easy.

The limitations are here for a reason, they are the roadblocks – they are here to test how badly we want something in life. They are here to make us understand that we are stronger than our limitations. If it was left to these reasons, nothing would ever be achieved in life. What matters to you the most? –  The reasons? Or The results? 

I have always tried to overcome the limitations of my condition and lead as full a life as possible. I have traveled the world, from the Antarctic to zero gravity… Perhaps one day I will go into space.

It is all right to make mistakes; nothing is perfect because with perfection, we would not exist – Stephen Hawking Quotes

Stephen Hawking on the theory of existence! I think it would be a damn boring world if everything was perfect! Imagine this – everything working your way, there are no challenges, nothing to make you think or wonder, nothing to threaten you and nothing you fear at all. And there is a word for that and I am kinda hinting that you are thinking – UTOPIA, absolute perfection. (Nothing is perfect!)

But I guess that might be the most boring day or maybe you haven’t challenged yourself enough. If we are right each time, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are smart, it can also mean that we have very small challenges. I agree that we all like a certain amount of certainty, but if there is no driving force of uncertainty, what is the point right? You just miss out on the real life altogether. I am sure none us want a text book life – we are here in this real world to face real challenges and to show how great we really can become, not succumb to a few failures and mistakes.

And the one way to handle uncertainty is to be ok with making mistakes. Get over that insane assumption that you can never be wrong. There is a 50-50 chance of us being wrong each time, take it, risk it, make mistakes and above all make them right, live life. There is no point in average perfection, you deserve a life of outstanding quality, make it one.

It is all right to make mistakes; nothing is perfect because with perfection, we would not exist

Stephen Hawking Quotes

Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.

Stephen Hawking cannot move, he needs a computer to talk. He can very well choose to be the prisoner of his limitations. But by this point, we do know that we are talking about the mind and we do realize how powerful it can be. We perhaps need not recall hawking every quote we hear. It is the mind that maketh a mountain of a mole and vice versa.

As Buddha pointed out, it is all the mind which makes and breaks a man. We can’t emphasize enough as to how important this can be. But we know that we are bound by the limits in the external world. It is sometimes under the control of someone else.

But what about our mind? Is that also under the control of someone else? Who decides what goes on in there? Is it free enough to wander and discover the true purpose? Are you setting it free enough?

Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free.

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.

When you are down, it is very easy to look down, drop your shoulders, draw a frown on your face and shrug your arms in despair.

Why do we need to keep thinking how and why things go wrong? I’m not suggesting that you or I should be an optimist or pessimist. It is our life and how we respond is our choice. We can look up and try to find a solution or look down and feel bad about an outcome.

But that is not going to make a big difference. If you or I feel bad – you or I feel bad, that is the end of it. It is not going to solve any of our troubles. We have to take the step, we have to make the move. Every problem left alone makes a mess out of itself. Maybe it is time that we stop letting a failure take its own course and instead direct it the way we want to.

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.

Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny – Stephen Hawking quotes

Laugh! Laugh at yourself, make fun of your follies, those silly mistakes – it makes letting them go that much easier. Stop being that serious in life – it is not going to lead you anywhere. You can either smile at your challenges and find ways to solve them or feel bad about them and keep cursing them.

Neither of them will solve the problem but the first one will make it easier and more enjoyable. We are here to live this life once and only once. Why not make the best out of it? We can be serious all the while and find some amazing solutions, but if you look back on your memory lane, what do you remember? All these moments of frown or those moments of cheer?

Life is not about the number of breaths we take but the moments which take our breath away. I feel kinda corny ending it with a cliche, but I sure can say one thing – these men have seen and felt a lot before they came out with such wonderful quotes. And these quotes have a meaning, a purpose and a result. They can create a hell lot of difference, if we let them.

Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny – Stephen Hawking quotes