(This article was written by Martin A. Schwartz. Martin A. Schwartz is a renowned American cell biologist and researcher, especially known for his work on cell adhesion and mechanotransduction. His research plays a significant role in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. This piece, originally published in the world-famous scientific journal Cell, has been translated into Bangla for the readers of Scientist Org.)
I recently met an old friend after many years. We were PhD students at the same time, though our research fields were different. Later, he left research and enrolled at Harvard Law School and is now a leading environmental lawyer. At one point in our conversation, he told me that the main reason he left research was that he felt stupid every day. After a few years of feeling this way, he decided to do something else.
I had always thought of him as exceptionally intelligent, something his subsequent career also proves. But what he said had a profound impact on me. I kept thinking, and then suddenly realized—science makes me feel stupid. But I’ve gotten used to it. In fact, I deliberately create environments where I feel stupid in order to learn something new. To me, this seems like the normal process of research.
The Relationship Between Science and the Feeling of ‘Stupidity’
Most students love science in school or college because they do well in it. Knowing the right answer means good grades, and it allows them to think of themselves as smart. But PhD research is an entirely different thing. Here there are no prepared answers. By nature, research forces us to confront the unknown.
When I was doing my PhD, forming research questions and analyzing experimental results used to baffle me. I would go to experts in the field for help. Once, Nobel laureate Henry Taube told me that he did not know the solution to my problem. That’s when I realized—this is the true beauty of research. When nobody knows the answer to a question, that’s exactly where real research begins.
This is where the main allure of research lies. It teaches us how to find our way in the unknown and to work out solutions ourselves. This realization made me even more enthusiastic about research.
What is ‘Productive Stupidity’?
I believe our PhD programs are failing students in two major ways:
1. They don’t do a good enough job of conveying just how hard research is. We can never be sure if we’re asking the right question or conducting the right experiment. Research means working in the unknown, and that’s not easy. It’s like searching for the solution to a complex puzzle where there are no set directions beforehand.
2. We don’t teach students the importance of being a ‘productively stupid’ person. To do real research, it’s normal to feel stupid over and over again. After all, there is no alternative to facing the unknown when seeking new knowledge. It is a mindset where researchers accept their own limitations and go deeper in pursuit of answers.
This ‘productive stupidity’ means consciously admitting one’s ignorance and persisting in seeking answers to important questions. Science allows us to make mistakes, to engage in the process of learning, and with every misstep, to discover something new. It gives researchers the confidence that every failure is the beginning of new knowledge.
Conclusion
Those who come into research were usually very good at science in school or college. But in research, the ability to work amidst the unknown and without certain answers is more important. If we can accept our ‘stupidity’ as normal, we’ll be able to discover new things more deeply. This is the true beauty of research—finding your way in the unknown and learning something new.
Some important advice for researchers:
- Don’t fear the unknown, but embrace it as a challenge.
- Persist in seeking solutions to new problems—keep searching with patience.
- Accept failure as a learning experience, and learn something from every mistake.
- Simplify the complexities of research through collaboration.
This article carries an important lesson for research students. The path of research is not easy, but the real joy is hidden within the process of discovering something new from the unknown.
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