Blog #20

“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” is a fascinating read as it takes on a comical twist on an autobiography. This is a unique perspective from the autobiographies of Charles Darwin and Benjamin Franklin, both of which took on a more solemn tone when evaluating their lives in hindsight. What is also special about this book is that Feynman not only revisits his childhood, but rather emphasizes this portion of his life. This is a significant point to highlight as autobiographies allow the author to portray their life in a certain manner; that being said, in Darwin’s autobiography, the reader is only allowed a small glimpse into this younger years of life. This difference in writing style illuminates the ways that these two individuals wanted to depict themselves to others; in Darwin’s case, he emphasized his publications and his journey as a scientist, whereas Feynman focuses the first section of his story to his childhood and the innocent curiosity he displayed towards inventions and technology. In doing so, he shows a comprehensive interest and respect for the sciences, whereas scientists such as Darwin and McClintock only highlighted their interests for their respective domains.

            Within the field of science, there is an ongoing stereotype of the “mad scientist,” where researchers are always depicted as being meticulous and serious. However, in this autobiography, by introducing himself in a light manner, Feynman immediately sets himself apart from these stigmas.  He further highlights the inklings of virtues that we have previously discussed in class, most notably that of curiosity. This passage further reinforces a point made by Dr. Pennock in his book, where he illustrates the idea of having a vocation or a calling for a field, specifically that of science. Pennock further dives into this topic by illustrating that only those that have such a calling for a field are the ones that are able to flourish and achieve their end “telos.” This point is critical when analyzing Feynman’s work as we see that his innocent childhood curiosity was a virtue that he practiced way before he even entered the field of science.

            In accordance to this idea, I strongly believe that it is important to highlight that a mere vocation for a field/topic is not enough, but that one needs a nurturing environment to foster such individual growth. For instance, in Feynman’s book, he recalls of an instance whereby a hotel called him and asked for his assistance in repairing a radio, even though he was merely a child at the time. After successfully accomplishing this task, he then notes that he received many calls asking for maintenance assistance, and such opportunities provided a solid foundation for him to grow from, learn, and build upon such virtues. This is a point that resonated something with me because often in science, many naturally assume that one’s vocation and passion is necessary for one to become successful, however after reading Feynman’s autobiography, I argue that one’s environmental circumstances are just as important.