60 Best Neil deGrasse Tyson Quotes About Endless Life

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Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist and science communicator who’s also the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Tyson, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Columbia,  is a popular TV science expert today with a fanbase of more than 12 million followers on Twitter.

Over the years, he has written columns for popular magazines, published his own books, hosted podcasts and served in government commissions.

Tyson discovered his love for the stars at an early age and has made it his mission to encourage science and space exploration.

In 2015, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences awarded the Public Welfare Medal for his “extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science”.

A cheerful and vibrant character who loves to share his knowledge and enthusiasm for astronomy, Tyson has clearly managed to tap into his Everyday Power.

In that respect, here are some beautiful Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes that will inspire, entertain and teach at the same time.

Also check out these Stephen Hawking quotes on life, religion and the universe.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

Inspirational Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes about endless life

1. “The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Read this one again. Life is going to come at you with all kinds of things that do not make sense. Some will be downright unfair. They will happen whether they make sense to us or not. Learn what you can from these moments. Implement what is working, and work through the obstacles. Keep going and learning even when it doesn’t make sense.

2. Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Success is a journey and quite often a long one. Sure it is nice to offer congratulations to those who reach the top. However, it is equally important to encourage those who are still putting in the work to reach their goals. Remember to offer yourself that same encouragement. 

3. “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: These are great philosophies! Knowing more about the world should also include learning more about yourself. How can you be better and improve the world around you? Next, asking how you can minimize the suffering of others makes us more empathetic, kind, and humble. Each of these things has a profound impact on our lives.

4. “Rational thoughts never drive people’s creativity the way emotions do.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Creative people tap into their feelings and create paintings, poetry, and other creative works. The goal of a creative person’s project is to move someone else to feel something. We can all help flex our creative side by doing things like drawing, journaling, cooking, singing, or whatever outlet you choose when our emotions are heightened. 

5. “If you want to assert a truth, first make sure it’s not just an opinion that you desperately want to be true.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: We all have those beliefs that we feel strongly about. We want them to be true with every fiber of our being. However, if it is an opinion of yours then you must prepare yourself for the fact that you could be wrong. Learn more about whatever the situation you are facing is, and be as aware as you can be. 

6. The only way you can invent tomorrow is if you break out of the enclosure that the school system has provided for you by the exams written by people who are trained in another generation.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: School and education are cornerstones of our society. However, the public school system teaches established ideas and principles. In order to meet the needs of the current moments in our life, we have to think outside the box. True knowledge is a continual process, not just learning material to pass tests.

7. “No one is dumb who is curious. The people who don’t ask questions remain clueless throughout their lives.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Asking questions is great way to learn new information. It gives us insight into how other people think too. Want to know how to ask great questions? First, be a good listener. By letting the other person speak, you can keep the conversation flowing and learn new things. Next, do some research and make sure you are prepared!

8. “Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak, or make you give up.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Passion is defined as a strong and barely controlled emotion. When you are passionate about something it becomes as vital as air and food. When times are difficult, this feeling will help you keep going. What are you passionate about? This article might help you figure it out!

9. “Knowing how to think empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: How do you learn to think? First, process information in a way that let’s you see it as coherent whole. Next, have a plan and a back up plan. Finally, always be willing to learn, and learn quickly.

10. “We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Humans are phenomenal specimens. We have the capacity for amazing feelings and are limited only by ourselves. Opposable thumbs come in pretty handy, too! What will you figure out during your lifetime? 

Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes to inspire and motivate

11. “Where ignorance lurks, so too do the frontiers of discovery and imagination” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Ignorance, which simply means not having knowledge about something, is not, in of itself, a bad thing. We all have things that we do not know. There are mysteries about our world and humans that are still being figured out. Ignorance can be a springboard for asking questions, learning, and discovering new things. Ignorance becomes a problem when we act like we know things we do not, stop trying to learn from others, and assume we know everything we need to.

12. “There is no greater education than one that is self-driven.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: It is our responsibility to continuously seek out knowledge. We can all attend the same school and have access to the same information, but some people will be more educated than others. Those are the people who asked questions, read more than what was required, and paid attention. Learning is a continuous endeavor that doesn’t stop once we leave school.

13. “During our brief stay on planet Earth, we owe ourselves and our descendants the opportunity to explore — in part because it’s fun to do. But there’s a far nobler reason. The day our knowledge of the cosmos ceases to expand, we risk regressing to the childish view that the universe figuratively and literally revolves around us.”  – Neil deGrasse Tyson

14. “It’s the inspired student that continues to learn on their own. That’s what separates the real achievers in the world from those who pedal along, finishing assignments.”  – Neil deGrasse Tyson

15. “Creativity is seeing what everyone else sees, but then thinking a new thought that has never been thought of before and expressing it somehow.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: Creativity comes in many different forms. Maybe you express your creativity through dance, art, writing, or acting. Maybe you write computer code. However, it all starts with seeing something and then thinking about it in an original way. Check out this article for tips on increasing your creativity.

16. “The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there’s any sort of benevolent force that has anything to do with it, at all.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

17. “Ignorance is a virus. Once it starts spreading, it can only be cured by reason. For the sake of humanity, we must be that cure.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

18. “Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we’re still at the mercy of nature.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: None of us are immune to natural disasters. Hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, and even volcanic eruptions have the potential to wipe out entire cities. You might have everything in life you need one moment, and then be left with nothing the next. We can help mitigate some of these natural disasters by taking better care of our planet. After all, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature’s wrath.

19. “Sometimes I wonder if we’d have flying cars by now had civilization spent a little less brain energy contemplating Football.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

20. “Everyone should have their mind blown once a day.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: That feeling of learning something so profound, achieving a goal you thought was impossible, or realizing a life changing lesson is something everyone of us should experience. Getting your mind blown daily will help you grow and develop into the best version of yourself.

You might also like these thoughtful galaxy quotes for those who wonder.

Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes about science and the universe

21. “The very nature of science is discoveries, and the best of those discoveries are the ones you don’t expect.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

22. “Perhaps we’ve never been visited by aliens because they have looked upon Earth and decided there’s no sign of intelligent life.”  ― Neil deGrasse Tysonnature

23. “Science literacy is the artery through which the solutions of tomorrow’s problems flow.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

24. “Math is the language of the universe. So the more equations you know, the more you can converse with the cosmos.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: The amount of math that factors into everything in the universe is simply astounding! For example, the Fibonacci sequence can be found throughout nature from the sunflower to fingerprints. Max Tegmark, a cosmologist explains his theory on why the universe is math in this book.

25. “Science is a cooperative enterprise, spanning the generations. It’s the passing of a torch from teacher, to student, to teacher. A community of minds reaching back to antiquity and forward to the stars.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

26. “We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Everyday Application: The universe really is in us. Did you know that most of the elements that make up the human body came from stars? Not only did these elements come from stars, but they came from stars that went supernova. Supernova happens when a star explodes and dies— either by being destroyed or turning into a black hole.

27. “I am trying to convince people — not only the public, but lawmakers and people in power — that investing in the frontier of science, however remote it may seem in its relevance to what you’re doing today, is a way of stockpiling the seed corns of future harvests of this nation.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

28. “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

29. “We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” ― Neil DeGrasse Tyson

30. “Whenever people have used religious documents to make accurate predictions about our base knowledge of the physical world, they have been famously wrong.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Thought-provoking Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes that will make your day

31. “Principles of modern law assert that you’re innocent until proven guilty. Yet airport security is the exact opposite of this.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

32. “If each dead person became a ghost, there’d be more than 100-billion of them haunting us all. Creepy, but cool.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

33. “Geek e-mail signoff: No trees were killed to send this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

34. “Without physics there’d be no Fashion Channel — there’d be no TV. But w/o fashion, physicists might just be naked. Not good.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

35. “Dreams about the future are always filled with gadgets.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

36. “I never want you to quote me citing my authority as a scientist for your knowing something. If that’s what you have to resort to I have failed as an educator.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

37. “A bullet fired level from a gun will hit ground at same time as a bullet dropped from the same height. Do the Physics.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

38. “Just an FYI: If scientists invented the legal system, eye witness testimony would be inadmissible evidence.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

39. “We spend the first year of a child’s life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There’s something wrong there.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

40. “We all want to Make America Great Again. But that won’t happen until we first Make America Smart Again.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

Other inspirational Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes

41. “If the surviving miners are heroes (rather than victims) then what do you call the NASA & Chilean Engineers who saved them?” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

42. “We think scientific literacy flows out of how many science facts can you recite rather than how was your brain wired for thinking. And it’s the brain wiring that I’m more interested in rather than the facts that come out of the curriculum or the lesson plan that’s been proposed.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

43. “Not enough of us reflect on how modern civilization pivots on the discoveries of just a few intellectually restless people.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

44. “Kids should be allowed to break stuff more often. That’s a consequence of exploration. Exploration is what you do when you don’t know what you’re doing.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

45. “If your Personal Beliefs deny what’s objectively true about the world, then they’re more accurately called Personal Delusions.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

46. “When students cheat on exams it’s because our school system values grades more than students value learning.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

47. “Things you might say if you never took Physics: ‘I’m overweight even though I don’t overeat.'” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

48. “Every living thing is a masterpiece, written by nature and edited by evolution.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

49. “Science needs the light of free expression to flourish. It depends on the fearless questioning of authority, and the open exchange of ideas.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

50. “Just because you can’t figure out how ancient civilizations built stuff, doesn’t mean they got help from Aliens.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

More Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes

51. “Not only do we live among the stars, the stars live within us.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

52. “God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that’s getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

53. “Doing what has never been done before is intellectually seductive, whether or not we deem it practical.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

54. “In modern times, if the sole measure of what’s out there flows from your five senses then a precarious life awaits you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

55. “One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you’re right but not enough to know you’re wrong.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

56. “There’s no shame in admitting what you don’t know. The only shame is pretending you know all the answers.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

57. “If the world is something you accept rather than interpret, then you’re susceptible to the influence of charismatic idiots.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

58. “Curious fact that those who never fail are also those who never truly succeed.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

59. “Where data are sparse, competing ideas abound that are clever and wishful.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

60. “As the area of our knowledge grows, so too does the perimeter of our ignorance.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson

Which of these Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes was your favorite?

Tyson remains one of America’s best-known scientists.

He has amassed a huge following thanks to his extraordinary ability to present complex cosmic concepts into ideas the layman understands and finds entertaining.

Known for his love of the universe and his cheerful and vibrant character, Tyson has spent much of his career sharing his knowledge with others.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading and gained some interesting insights from these quotes just as much as we have.

Did you enjoy these Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes?

Which of the quotes was your favorite?

Tell us in the comment section below.

Check out Neil deGrasse Tyson on MasterClass where he teaches Scientific Thinking and Communication.