Ask any STEM undergraduate, hard-working
graduate student, or scientific professional why they are in their respective
field and I guarantee no one would talk about their want to boost their
self-importance. They would respond with their many aspirations for their lives
and careers and most likely speak about using their knowledge to help others in
some way. So, when reading James Shreeve’s The
Genome War, the following quote caught me off guard: “Ego is a common
proponent in science” (27). Ego carries such a negative connotation in society;
it seems so selfish and rude to want to better one’s ego, especially when
dealing with such high-stakes, like sequencing the entire human genome. Yet,
when pondering this thought, I realized that ego and aspirations go hand in
hand.
This introduces the question on
whether wanting to answer scientific questions to satisfy one’s ego is an
acceptable reason to do so. Shouldn’t scientific boundaries be pushed in order
to better the world or cure a malicious disease? Not because someone in a lab
wants world-wide recognition? Perhaps. But, if there was no ego pushing and
nagging, would anyone want to truly dedicate their life to this field? In my
opinion, no. I think everybody is motivated by ego, some more than others, but
everybody feels that want, or need, to better themselves, their reputation, and
their self-confidence. People don’t talk about their egotistical reasoning for
fear of social rejection, but I think it’s always there.
Like with everything in life, moderation
is key; too much or too little ego can ruin a great thing. It is true, too
much “ego gathers and gums up the works that progress might actually be impeded,”
but on the other hand, if there is too much humility, tasks may never find completion
(27)." Therefore, it is important to find the balance between overconfidence and
modesty in order to succeed.
With Craig Venter, it’s easy to see his ego working in his determination to sequence the human genome before The Human Genome Project (HGP). Granted, he erred on the side of arrogance, but without his big head and his pressure on the HGP, would the human genome be sequenced by now? Would all of the discoveries following its sequencing still have occurred? No one knows for sure, but without Venter and his unstoppable ego, the war on the genome would have been more drawn out and far less exciting.
With Craig Venter, it’s easy to see his ego working in his determination to sequence the human genome before The Human Genome Project (HGP). Granted, he erred on the side of arrogance, but without his big head and his pressure on the HGP, would the human genome be sequenced by now? Would all of the discoveries following its sequencing still have occurred? No one knows for sure, but without Venter and his unstoppable ego, the war on the genome would have been more drawn out and far less exciting.
References:
Shreeve, James. The Genome War: How Craig Venter Tried to Capture the Code of Life and Save the World. New York: Ballantine Books, 2005. Print.
I agree with your view of things. If there is someone out there that will, say, cure cancer, does it really matter that they only did it for recognition? Cancer is still cured, in this case, and millions of people will be saved. Who cares if ego was the driving force, because an amazing discovery still took place. The polio vaccine was tested on 161 CHILDREN, but Jonas Sulk's discovery still helped to almost eliminate polio, which affected 350,000 people in 1988 and now affects less than 100 people per year.
ReplyDeleteI think this is my stance to. If the action truly benefits humanity or society, than I don't think it matters why it was done. In the end, society is still bettered, and I don't really care if the guy was a jerk while doing it. In your example, he may be a horrible person, but he cured cancer, so the end result is good.
DeleteLeah, all your writings (comments and blog alike) have a very clean writing style and flow to them. I very much enjoyed reading your blog. I agree with you one hundred percent. How is it that science today is supposed to be driven from ego instead of something more pure.
ReplyDeleteI compare this to the reason that I got into nursing. I chose my profession because I wanted to help someone. I didn't get into nursing because I knew it was the most trusted profession and that people respected it. It just blows my mind to think that people are doing the things they are just to be recognized and have their ego boosted a bit. That may just be my naive self trying to make the world seem like a better place but this fully blew me away.
You are a very skilled writer. I, too, wonder whether the Human Genome Project would have progressed as it did if it was not driven by the egos of Craig Venter and his colleagues. Ego really is unavoidable in pretty much any corner of the field of science, even if we don't like to admit it. Also, perhaps somewhat off-topic, I love the quote: “Ego gathers and gums up the works that progress might actually be impeded.”
ReplyDeleteI would also agree with you when you say many scientists choose the fields they do because they offer a chance at recognition. Most if not all people in STEM fields are trying to solve some problem and be recognized for it. You don't see anyone offering to let someone else publish their groundbreaking research. That said many scientists find another reason for choosing their profession. It could be the betterment of society or a more personal reason but they do not often purposefully choose scientific fields to support their egos. This is usually a subconscious reason to their desire of wanting to become a recognized researcher.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I found the idea that ego could be a major influence in science strange. My reasons for entering the field were not for my personal gain, but that I wanted to make the world a better place. But the drive for personal success is one that comes from a selfish place. Failure is often not seen as failure to serve others, but as a personal loss. In the end, I agree that there is a balance between our drive for personal gain and the drive to help others. I also believe that if an action does better society or humanity, then I don't really care why they are doing this. An excellent write-up nonetheless!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post Leah! I totally agree with you that ego carries such a bad connotation, even though it is necessary in any field. As with everything else, you can always have too much of something. However, I also believe in order to be successful in a competitive field, it is necessary to have an ego. People need that drive, that confidence, that motivation that a little bit of ego produces. Without ego, I don´t think scientific discoveries would be made nearly as fast as they are now.
ReplyDelete