45 Stephen Hawking Quotes About Life, Philosophy and Purpose

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking is known as one of the greatest minds of our time, not only for his research on the formation and composition of the cosmos but also for his unique perspective on Earth. Born on January 8, 1942, Hawking led a life focused on his education, attending University College in Oxford to study physics, and Cambridge University. It's no wonder so many Stephen Hawking quotes have a unique, intelligent perspective.

He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21, a condition that gradually paralyzed him. Despite this, and being told he would only live for, at most, two years post-diagnosis, he continued his research and work, communicating through a speech-generating device and a single cheek muscle.

Hawking's most famous theoretical prediction was that black holes emit radiation, now known as "Hawking radiation," which was a monumental advancement in theoretical physics. He also contributed to the understanding of the Big Bang theory.

His book A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, became an international bestseller. It was also revolutionary in that it broke down the extremely complex scientific concepts of Hawking’s research, making them accessible to the average person. This newfound accessibility to science created a renewed interest in young people becoming involved in the field.

He passed away at age 76 on March 14, 2018, but his legacy lives on through his other notable scientific literature and many quotes from his many public appearances and writings. Hawking was an inspiration for people of all abilities and backgrounds.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or are new to his story, enjoy reading through this list of Hawking’s 45 most memorable quotes to better understand his values and beliefs.

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45 Stephen Hawking Quotes

1. “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”
2. “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”
3. “I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die.”
4. “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away.”
5. “People who boast about their IQ are losers.”
6. "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at."
7. “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”

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8. "I believe there are no questions that science can't answer about a physical universe."
9. "Science is not only a disciple of reason but also one of romance and passion."
10. “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn't exist.....Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”
11. “The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order, which may or may not be divinely inspired.”

12. "The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities."
13. “For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn't have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.”
14. "The universe is not indifferent to our existence -- it depends on it."
15. "When one's expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have."

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16. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
17. “Quiet people have the loudest minds.”
18. “We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to make sense of what we see around us and to ask: What is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it and we come from? Why is it the way it is?”
19. “It surprises me how disinterested we are today about things like physics, space, the universe and philosophy of our existence, our purpose, our final destination. Its a crazy world out there. Be curious.”
20. “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.” — In an interview with the New York Times, 2011
21. “Ever since the dawn of civilization, people have not been content to see events as unconnected and inexplicable. They have craved an understanding of the underlying order in the world. Today we still yearn to know why we are here and where we came from. Humanity's deepest desire for knowledge is justification enough for our continuing quest. And our goal is nothing less than a complete description of the universe we live in.”
22. “Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge.”

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23. “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Where there's life, there's hope.”
24. “It matters if you just don't give up.”
25. “To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.”
26. “The idea of 10 dimensions might sound exciting, but they would cause real problems if you forget where you parked your car.” 
27. “The human capacity for guilt is such that people can always find ways to blame themselves.”
28. “One is always a long way from solving a problem until one actually has the answer.”
29. “It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value.”
30. “We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.”
31. “When we see the Earth from space, we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity, and not the divisions. It is such a simple image with a compelling message; one planet, one human race.”
32. “Simplicity is a matter of taste.” 
33. “Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love. We are all time travellers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit.” 
34. “I have spent my life traveling across the universe, inside my mind.” 
35. “May you keep flying like superman in microgravity.” — Addressing astronauts at NASA in 2014
36. “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”
37. “I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has yet to appear on planet Earth.”
38. “Science is beautiful when it makes simple explanations of phenomena or connections between different observations. Examples include the double helix in biology and the fundamental equations of physics.”
39. “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.”
40. “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these 'how' and 'why' questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”
41. “We are all different. There is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit.”
42. “I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.”
43. “Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.”
44. “There are no black holes in the sense of regimes from which light can't escape to infinity.”
45. “If I had a time machine, I'd visit Marilyn Monroe in her prime or drop in on Galileo as he turned his telescope to the heavens.”

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