I keep the subject constantly before me, and wait 'till the first… — Isaac Newton · Smartyfair

I keep the subject constantly before me, and wait 'till the first dawnings open slowly, by little and little, into a full and clear light.

Isaac Newton1643–1727 · scientist · 1600s-1700s EnglandIsaac Newton was an English scientist who figured out the laws of gravity and motion that explain how everything from apples to planets move.4 quotes

Source foundPerseveranceCuriosityAncient

In plain words

He held a problem in his head until the answer slowly grew light.

Look up a word

Where these words come from

How sure this is: 85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Newton's own description of his discovery method, recorded in Biographia Britannica (1760); Wikiquote-sourced with named source.
Work: Biographia Britannica
Occasion: 1760 · Newton's own account of how he made discoveries
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Sourced section, cited to Biographia Britannica (1760), Vol. 5, p. 3241

Nothing made from these words yet — Storyfaire is where they get made.

More from Isaac Newton

Plato is my friend — Aristotle is my friend — but my greatest friend is truth.

Isaac Newton If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Isaac Newton To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.

More on perseverance

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Confucius Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.

Plato Slow and steady wins the race.

Aesop Patience is the key to relief.Arabic proverb Drops of water hollow out a stone.