Marie Curie was born as Maria Salomea Skłodowska on 7th November 1867. She was a famous Polish physicist and chemist whose works under radioactivity became world-renowned. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person and the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice. She also holds the title of being the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.
Curie was born in Warsaw when it was a part of the Russian Empire. She studied at Warsaw's clandestine Flying University. In 1891, she went to study in Paris, where she earned her higher degrees and conducted her scientific work. She then married a physicist called Pierre Curie and won the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with him and another physicist Henri Becquerel for developing the theory of "radioactivity".
Marie won the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of elements- Polonium and Radium. In 1995, she became the first woman to be entombed in the Panthéon, Paris. Marie Curie breathed her last on July 4, 1934. On the centenary of her second Nobel Prize, the United Nations declared that the day would be the International Year of Chemistry.
Below are some of the famous Marie Curie Quotes...
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
This quote by Curie is relevant both in the realm of science as well as life. For the longest time, people feared the happenings of nature. However, nothing in this world should be feared as everything is understandable and happens for a reason. So rather than fearing the unknown, one should strive to understand the reasons behind it. This way, one would understand more and fear lesser!
Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
It's a human tendency to always know what's happening in others' lives. Interfering in someone else's life and deriving pleasure from knowing what the other person is doing is what we do. Yet if you want to excel like Marie Curie, you should start becoming more curious about ideas than people. This way you can productively use your curiosity at the right place.
One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.
Human psychology operates in such a way that one only finds faults and not goodness. Similarly, rather than appreciating what work has been done, one points out what has not been done. This is nothing but a thought process that sees a half-filled glass as half empty than half full.
I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.
Here, Curie points out at a pertinent and relevant understanding of the progress. She says that progress in her definition was neither too swift nor too easy. Thus, we can sum up this quote by establishing the fact that growth and progress are slow, tough and tedious. Had progress been easy, anyone would have achieved what Curie had.
There are sadistic scientists who hurry to hunt down errors instead of establishing the truth.
The domain of science comprises of all kind of individuals. Some of them are extremely positive and work hard in the direction of seeking the truth. While another set of scientists are sadists, they are always quick to highlight the errors. Yet when it comes to hunting down the truth to prove something or establish facts, they would refrain from doing it.
In science, we must be interested in things, not in persons.
Science is not about understanding the nature of people. It isn't bothered much to know or understand what the other person is doing. Rather science has to do more with inanimate things and objects. It is concerned with the objective reality of things rather than people's mundane lives and habits.
A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales.
When a scientist encounters an unknown phenomenon for the first time, it completely astonishes him/her/them. This is just like the way children get astonished when they get impressed by fairy tales. Thus, scientists don't only focus on anything in their laboratory's technical and mechanical issues. They do feel surprised at newer things that awe them.
I have frequently been questioned, especially by women, of how I could reconcile family life with a scientific career. Well, it has not been easy.
Women are often expected to fall prey to society's stereotypes and conventions. This often leaves them with little choice than just to raise their kids and take care of the family. At the same time, some women have to compromise on their academic career because of domestic life. Others like Curie balance both, although the act of balancing is extremely tough.
All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child.
The beauty of nature is something that captures everyone's heart, especially when one sees something new happening in nature. Here, Curie is telling us that new sights of nature always had her rejoice, which is why she discovered novel things.
I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries.
Marie Curie is extremely enlightening and positive in her outlook towards new inventions and discoveries. Just as the Nobel Prize believes in the fact that new discoveries do more good to humanity than cause harm. Similarly, Curie also holds the same opinion.
Have no fear of perfection; you'll never reach it.
Perfection is nothing but a mirage. Like a mirage, it seems real and tangible from a distance, but when one gets closer, one realises that it's just unrealistic. Thus, one should never fear of perfection. That's because you will not be able to achieve it anytime in your life as it's just an illusion.
The older one gets, the more one feels that the present moment must be enjoyed, comparable to a state of grace.
Ageing comes with its realisations and self-reflection. Once we start getting old, we begin to realise the transience of life. Ageing makes us aware of the fact that life is too short to spend grudgingly about petty things. Thus, getting older makes one respect and cherish the present moments even more!
We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something.
In order to do great in life, having a belief in yourself is extremely important. Even more than belief, perseverance and being consistent in what we do is crucial. Thus, we all should believe in ourselves and the fact that we all have been gifted with something out-of-the-box. This very belief will become a driving force in taking us to our desired destination!
You must never be fearful of what you are doing when it is right.
Fear of doing something wrong or not doing it as was expected is natural in every job. If you know that you are doing the right thing, then there should be no fear in your mind. Always hold faith in yourself and the fact that you are on the right track and ain't doing anything wrong. Once you overcome self-doubt, you can achieve anything.
We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.
Most of Curie's quotes press us into thinking how confidence in oneself can do wonders. This quote is exactly doing the same thing. It motivates us to have strong faith in our innate ability to do wonders. Once we start believing that we are born with a special gift which we may achieve at any cost, we transform ourselves into positive beings.
We must keep our certainty that after the bad days the good times will come again
Good days and bad days are part and parcel of everyone's life. If it's sunny today, there's no guarantee that it would be sunny tomorrow also. It can be rainy, stormy or breezy. However, this doesn't mean those rough days would be everlasting. Every rain brings new sunshine, just like bad days give way to good ones.
First principle: never to let one's self be beaten down by persons or by events
Self-loathing or self-doubt is extremely detrimental to one's survival and growth. Constantly blaming external forces like other people or events having beaten you is harmful. Thus, one should refrain from such thoughts. One needs to rise above these petty blaming games and not let anyone else determine their course of life.
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement.
To change the world at a larger level, one should improve the individual self. You cannot think of bringing a gigantic change in the whole world at once if you don't work on self-improvement. Thus, the most feasible way to impact the entire world is by focussing on our inner selves.
I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory. (about a wedding dress)
This line is incredibly witty, funny, yet revealing in its undertones. Here, Curie talks about a wedding dress saying that she has no other dress other than the one she regularly wears. However, if anyone wishes to gift her a nice dress, she would prefer a practical and dark one that she can wear in the laboratory also. This shows Curie's passion for her work so much that a wedding dress almost turns insignificant for her.
I am among those who think that science has great beauty
Curie loved everything about science. Be it something as little as a small bird to as sophisticated as an element like Radium. Science was her passion and zeal. This is reflective in the above quote wherein we can sense how enthusiastically she looked up to her subject- Science.
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