"In science, feeling confused is essential to progress. An
unwillingness to feel lost, in fact, can stop creativity dead in its
tracks. A mathematician once told me he thought this was the reason
young mathematicians make the big discoveries. Math can be hard, he
said, even for the biggest brains around. Mathematicians may spend
hours just trying to figure out a line of equations. All the while,
they feel dumb and inadequate. Then one day, these young
mathematicians become established, become professors, acquire
secretaries and offices. They don't want to feel stupid anymore. And
they stop doing great work." -- K.C. Cole,
"Weird Science:
Why editors must dare to be dumb", Columbia Journalism
Review, July/August 2006
(thanks
to tdj for pointing it out)