Eric Rothman

Then I had another thought: Physics disgusts me a little bit now, but I used to enjoy doing physics. Why did I enjoy it? I used to play with it. I used to do whatever I felt like doing - it didn't have to do with whether it was important for the development of nuclear physics, but whether it was interesting and amusing for me to play with. When I

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I think for years I was looking at my feet, I couldn’t look people straight in the eye, I was uncomfortable, I mean uncomfortable all the time, whereas today I enjoy being uncomfortable. It amuses me to understand that, yes, I have many doubts, that is what makes me alive, in fact. It allows me to move forward, I really like it.

Make friends. It is dangerous to go alone. You heal yourself by helping others. Be kind and serve others. We can do more together than we can do alone.

Find out how you are fucked up. “They fuck you up your mom and dad, they don’t mean to but they do…” You inherited all sorts of bullshit that you don’t even know.

Own your shit and fix it. You will... See more

Everyone wants to know how to be liked. But I think we all know, actually, how to be liked, it’s just that it’s hard. It takes attention and openness, and the confidence to present your character like it’s a fun mask you’re wearing rather than a lesson you’re desperate to teach someone. If you have that, it’s simple: when people put energy into... See more

You should write because when you know that you’re going to write, it changes the way you live. I’m thinking about a book I read called Field Notes on Science & Nature , a collection of essays by scientists about their notes. It’s hard to imagine a more tedious concept — a book of essays about notes ? — but in execution it was wonderful. What it... See more

“Well, I’m gonna get a lot of hell for saying this. I just want to put it out there. I know, I am. This is going to be a something that I might regret saying, but...I think one of the best things to cure self-doubt is just to go to really bad stuff. I’m talking about plays you hear about that are terrible–go to them. There’s shows on television... See more

1. Write what you're learning.

2. Have at least a tiny website that shows something neat.

3. Do things publicly. Have Twitter, Github, etc. Comment publicly, ideally with your real name. This forces you to be nicer, too.

4. Help other people.