Learning and personal development
Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.
— Richard Feynman (1918–1988), Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005), From a letter to Ms. J. M. Szabados of Victoria, Australia (30 November 1965)

Learning and personal development

What it means

Feynman advised a student to study what interests them most, in their own original and irreverent way. Curiosity is the best guide.

About the author

Richard Feynman — American theoretical physicist (1918–1988).

Source and verification

Source
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005), From a letter to Ms. J. M. Szabados of Victoria, Australia (30 November 1965)
Reference
Richard Feynman on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Short quotation from a work that is still in copyright, reproduced briefly for commentary with full attribution. Rights remain with the author or their estate.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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