My Inspiration

History has shown over and over again that new ideas don’t emerge smoothly or quietly. They tend to shake things up, disrupt the status quo, and face backlash before anyone realizes, “Oh, maybe this actually makes sense."

That’s why these quotes resonate so deeply with me, and maybe with you, too? We can all feel the need for change and innovation. But, these visionaries remind us that standing firm in the face of resistance isn’t just courageous—it’s unavoidable to obtain meaningful change, even when hard.

These visionaries. knew that scientific progress came from inspiring new thinkers. Thomas Kuhn saw that paradigm shifts don't happen step-by-step, but instead require an entire reimagining of what's possible. Asimov, Sagan, Einstein, Schopenhauer—they all understood that questioning, challenging, and even being misunderstood are just parts of progress. When we question everything, even our most cherished assumptions, that's when we are doing our best work. 

When new ideas emerge and encounter resistance, that resistance is always destined to collapse. You cannot prevent progress, especially when those new ideas offer clarity that improves our temporary journey through existence. 

History is littered with the remnants of collapsed opposition to progress. Furthermore, as the digital age ushers in unprecedented access to sharing and collaboration, resistance to progress becomes increasingly inert and obsolete. 

What does it all mean? What are these visionaries really saying? They say that your new contributions and engagement are inherently valuable, even when it doesn't feel like it in the moment. They are telling us that immediate acceptance of ideas is not the goal nor relevant; creating those ideas and putting them out there is enough to ensure their success, as resistance to progress is always destined to fail. 

Every contribution matters. Thoughtful comments on articles, insights shared on social media, and participation in research discussions keep the conversation going. Every question and critique has the power to sharpen perspectives and drive innovation. There is no one unqualified to progress humanity’s understanding of ourselves and the world around us. You matter.

We’re all in this together. Science, social issues, progress—none of these thrive in isolation. When we bring our questions, experiences, and perspectives to the table, we create a powerful collective force. We’re part of something bigger, and together, we can make a meaningful impact. This teamwork converges on progress that is destined to outlive those who resist it. We see it time and time again throughout history, and every time resistance fails, it loses its ability to stall progress the next time it emerges.

These visionaries are all essentially saying that everything you do to contribute to humanity’s progress matters immediately, even if you don’t see its impact right away, even if it feels small in the moment, even if others resist, mock, ignore, ridicule, or whatever boring flavor of resistence takes hold at that moment, because in the long run, progress prevails... and does so every time.

These visionaries are not wishful thinkers: they proved and lived this same message over centuries, people, locations, domains, and impact; it’s always the same story, but we can only see it in hindsight. But this time, we can see it while we all contribute to our progress. 

Take their advice; the next time you think to yourself, “Will my contribution even matter?” The answer is always... yes, it matters.