“But Watson had one towering advantage over all of them: in addition to being extremely clever he had something important to be clever about. This is an advantage which scientists enjoy over most other people engaged in intellectual pursuits, and they enjoy it at all levels of capability. To be a first-rate scientist it is not necessary (and certainly not sufficient) to be extremely clever, anyhow in a pyrotechnic sense. One of the great social revolutions brought about by scientific research has been the democratization of learning. Anyone who combines strong common sense with an ordinary degree of imaginativeness can become a creative scientist, and a happy one besides, in so far as happiness depends upon being able to develop to the limit of one's abilities.”

1960s, Lucky Jim, 1968

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "But Watson had one towering advantage over all of them: in addition to being extremely clever he had something importan…" by Peter Medawar?
Peter Medawar photo
Peter Medawar 40
scientist 1915–1987

Related quotes

Peter Medawar photo

“But Watson had one towering advantage over all of them: in addition to being extremely clever he had something important to be clever about.”

Peter Medawar (1915–1987) scientist

This is an advantage which scientists enjoy over most other people engaged in intellectual pursuits, and they enjoy it at all levels of capability. To be a first-rate scientist it is not necessary (and certainly not sufficient) to be extremely clever, anyhow in a pyrotechnic sense. One of the great social revolutions brought about by scientific research has been the democratization of learning. Anyone who combines strong common sense with an ordinary degree of imaginativeness can become a creative scientist, and a happy one besides, in so far as happiness depends upon being able to develop to the limit of one's abilities.
1960s, Lucky Jim, 1968

Leó Szilárd photo

“In order to succeed it is not necessary to be much cleverer than other people. All you have to do is be one day ahead of them.”

Leó Szilárd (1898–1964) Physicist and biologist

As quoted in "Close-up : I'm looking for a market for wisdom. : Leo Szilard, scientist" in LIFE‎ magazine, Vol. 51, no. 9 (1 September 1961), p. 75
Variant: If you want to succeed in the world, you don't have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier.

Vince Cable photo

“We have to be careful of Vince Cable, he's extremely sharp and clever. In fact, he's almost as sharp and clever as he thinks he is.”

Vince Cable (1943) British Liberal Democrat politician

An anonymous Conservative aid quoted on Newsnight http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8686818.stm.
About

Milan Kundera photo
Richard Feynman photo

“We scientists are clever — too clever — are you not satisfied? Is four square miles in one bomb not enough? Men are still thinking. Just tell us how big you want it!”

Richard Feynman (1918–1988) American theoretical physicist

note (c. 1945), quoted in Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman (1992) by James Gleick, p. 204

Napoleon I of France photo

“The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense — he is always satisfied with himself.”

Napoleon I of France (1769–1821) French general, First Consul and later Emperor of the French

Napoleon : In His Own Words (1916)

Letitia Elizabeth Landon photo
Peter Sloterdijk photo

Related topics