ARGUMENT : In order to become a succesful and great scientist, do one need to be emotionally flat?

Question

I dwell in this question long enough.

From my observation, prominent scientists have different kind of personality, but one are for sure in most of the prominent scientists, they tend to be less affected by personal feeling, that is, have a heart nearly as a stone, emotionally flat, think in a way of logic rather than feelings.

I give an example : Isaac Newton, who had no/minimum emotional needs. He didn't need love, friendship, kinship.He don't feel the world emotionally, he don't build any relationship with the people around him, he don't care what other's view on him (but normal people, especially those who are emotionally rich, always care for people's view on them, relationships...).

All the very great scientist ,in my opinion, are like robots, their minds are programmed to do research on science.While normal people are building relationship with others, they lock themself in their lab to do research insanely, they tend to have no other interest.

questions at below.

Answer 1

This is not true.

Counter-example: Albert Einstein. He had a sense of humour, was found around people, and he demonstrated his emotions time and time again when the atom bombs were discussed. When he heard the news of the bombs hitting Japan, he was extremely saddened and repulsed by the idea that his theories developed into this mass extermination. He once claimed, "If I had known that my theories would lead to such destruction, I'd rather have become a watchmaker."

For your additional info: emotionally rich is never a problem, because it can ensure enthusiasm in the subject. Just be careful that your emotions and your scientific judgement won't compete. If your findings are as you hoped and expected, allow yourself to be joyous. If not, of course you are allowed to be sad, disillusioned and disappointed. But report the facts as you find them.

As for the second one, no, science does not have to become your only hobby and life. It is a job, and should only become your hobby if you want it to. Keep your job and your personal life separate. Enjoy your music, friends, TV shows etc. to your heart's content; it's what I do. Just be aware of ideas that come to mind in your spare time. Who knows, they may be the greatest ideas ever.

Answer 2

Mr. Gogo...

Firstly, in laconic words... let me depict your valued concernity within the frame of worthy knowledge that speaks and spells it own volume in greatness of its being.

" To be Great.... one do not need words, emotions and or any sort of rigidity'... indeed, one has only "to work Great"

A Great is an element that is been qualified by the Quality of the Work, as its Workmanship...  So, the Workmanship is Great... not the Work, alone.

Science doesn't mean only Physics or Chemistry, Astronomy or Space studies, or any other such mean as been projected by you in due concern of availing an applied answer.

SCIENCE is not a particular field, indeed it is nothing more than the mean been defined hereunder for your applied understanding inculcating the Best Knowledge back home within the depths of your prudence....

SCIENCE is "An Organised Body of Knowledge"...

at dint and delves of endeavours, efforts, discoveries, searches, researches, and empiricism [ i.e Heuristicism] of.... through the refined steps, as a 'organised process' towards a progressive instrumentational aligning all of polymathic Knowings' in direction of enlightening our doubts, beliefs, faiths, trusts, essences and senses into the stream of reading ourselves been well defined with the principles & laws of Cosmic' Father and Mother' Nature that rules the existences and extant of "All of Consciousness", as nomenclatured hereinbelow...

* KNOWING...        [ i.e. to awake, to aware and to acquaint ],

* RE-KNOWING... [vide varied and allied Tests & Experiments]

* APPROVING...

* ACCREDITING...

* APPLYING...

And on findings been found all within the scope of a particular design and format... then such findings are extrapolated and confirmed as SCIENCE

But, mind it Science is not static... indeed its non-static... it keeps on changing its presentational modes & codes, not because it changes itself ~ but because we keep-on redefining it with the perspective gains & attains of new conceptive Percepts or perceptive Concepts been conferred and bestowed by Time & Tide on us... So, Science is the matter of What yet Known is at its Best, yet undisputable with no parrallel findings.

... SCIENCE is but "An Organised Body of Knoweldge"

Hence to be a SCIENTIST, one has to be a lucubrated student of  SCIENCE...

And to be a Great Scientist, one has to be a Great Lucubrated Student of SCIENCE... i.e. any stream, having "An Organised Body Of Knowledge"

Answer 3

No, not emotionally flat, you can have all the feelings you want.

However, you do have to be intellectually honest -- if facts do not support your emotions, you may keep the emothions, but must report the facts as is.

Answer 4

Please don't!  It's definitely not necessary.  The world needs more good thinkers in science and in other fields, but it has enough emotionless people already.  Today, more than ever, science is done with collaborations of people.  It's much more satisfying to collaborate with a whole person.

Answer 5

Most scientists became scientists because of a passion to Know. Go to a scientific convention sometime and you're likely to see some heated arguments.  Hang out sometime at a bar near a university and you may even see a fistfight.

Scientists are not inherently different from other people, one of the roles of science is to remove opinion from the process. If all you see are scientists doing science, then you might come to that conclusion, but if you know us personally it's way different.