Quick answer“I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.” is a famous quote by Marie Curie. It comes from Pierre Curie, with Autobiographical Notes of Marie Curie (1923). It is widely quoted on motivation and science.
In her Autobiographical Notes of 1923, Marie Curie recalled her first laboratory work in Warsaw and the lesson it taught her: the way of progress is neither swift nor easy. It is one of the few sentences of hers that survives in her own words.
Origin: From Marie Curie's Autobiographical Notes, published with her biography of Pierre Curie in 1923 (translated by Charlotte and Vernon Kellogg). She wrote it recalling her first laboratory work in Warsaw, trying experiments from physics and chemistry textbooks: 'I tried out various experiments... But on the whole, though I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy, this first trial confirmed in me the taste for experimental research.' Note the verified wording uses 'is', not 'was'.
Key facts
| Quote | “I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.” |
|---|---|
| Author | Marie Curie |
| Source | Pierre Curie, with Autobiographical Notes of Marie Curie (1923) |
| Themes | motivation, science |
| Language | English |
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Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.