Richard P. Feynman Quotes

I believe in work. If somebody doesn't create something, however small it may be, he gets sick. An awful lot of people feel that they're treading water -- that if they vanished in smoke, it wouldn't mean anything at all in this world. And that's a despairing and destructive feeling. It'll kill you.

Teaching has always been a very important part of my life. It is one of the ways I contribute to society. It is also a source of energy and insight.

To work is to feel alive.

I won't do something just for the sake of working.

I was always curious about motivation and intention, and really, that's a lot of what acting is.

It's a privilege to do what I do for a living - to take people out of their miserable day, or to educate somebody, or make somebody laugh, or fall in love with an idea. How good is that? And I get paid to do it!

Teaching is a good distraction, and I am in contact with young people, which is very gratifying.

You can not be afraid when you get to this level to teach. I don't care what level you're at, if you don't teach, you're worthless.

Success for me means being able to work. I don't look at so much at what I've done as much as I look to what I will do.

I work because I think that I wouldn't feel good about myself unless I was contributing.

I have ideas. I hear voices. Words accumulate. It's still an overriding impulse. And I'm self-employed, which means I have to be sensible and motivated about paying the bills.

You should always be well and bright, for so you do your best work; and you have so much beautiful work to do. The world needs it, and you must give it!

I am 84 years old and have not retired because I feel I have something to contribute.

I work because I want to work. Work keeps me going.

I wouldn't be happy had I only been a teacher, if all I had done was help young people, frankly. I don't get nearly the joy teaching as I do out of creation.

When you believe in what you're doing and use your imagination and initiative, you can make a difference.

Teaching is a distraction and a burden, but it's also an incredible stimulus. And a reprieve, in a way. When you're trying to work on something and it's not going anywhere, you can go to school and there's a two-and-a-half-hour block of time in which you can accomplish something.

I always thought I would be a teacher. And I think I actually lived up to my initial dreams, because what I do now is teach millions and millions of people many different kinds of things.

I do work that I feel I have something to contribute to.

There is a huge body of evidence showing that people do better in their work when they know why they're doing it in the first place. They do better when they see what they're doing contributes to something in the world.

I love working. It gives you a reason to get up in the morning.

For myself, I keep writing. I've got to do something. I can't sit on my hands and do nothing.

Basically, I should feel at the end of the day that I am doing something worthwhile.

I find teaching to be a great way to keep everything in perspective and to help give back. It's also a lot of fun and creatively invigorating.

I value teaching. It's one of the places I get inspiration, engagement.