However, I was always hampered by self-doubt. My initial conviction -- essential for anyone who wants to make it as a scientist -- that I could really make a difference, maybe even win a few prizes and get famous, eroded when I realized that my brain was simply not wired like those of the phalanx of Nobelists I met over the years; I was never going to be original enough to be a star.
Seriously, what the hell does this mean. I believe this kind of confidence problem could be fixed by better mentorship earlier in life and perhaps a cultivation of a more hackerish mentality.
However, I was always hampered by self-doubt. My initial conviction -- essential for anyone who wants to make it as a scientist -- that I could really make a difference, maybe even win a few prizes and get famous, eroded when I realized that my brain was simply not wired like those of the phalanx of Nobelists I met over the years; I was never going to be original enough to be a star.
Seriously, what the hell does this mean. I believe this kind of confidence problem could be fixed by better mentorship earlier in life and perhaps a cultivation of a more hackerish mentality.