I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that… — Richard Feynman · Smartyfair

I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.

Richard Feynman1918–1988 · scientist · 1900s USARichard Feynman was a physicist known for explaining hard science in fun, easy-to-understand ways.4 quotes

Source not found yetCuriosity1900s

In plain words

He was born knowing nothing and spent his life fixing that.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 44% sureLots of sources credit Richard Feynman with this, and they agree with each other. The book or the speech it first came from hasn't turned up yet.
What turned up: Used as the epigraph of James Gleick's biography Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman (1992); no specific primary interview/letter identified.
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026

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More from Richard Feynman

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Richard Feynman

More on curiosity

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

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