How Ignoring Logic (Sometimes) Leads to Success

A story, quote and lesson about a curious German physicist

The best advice isn’t always the right advice.

Max Planck didn’t set out to revolutionize physics. As a young student in the late 19th century, he was simply fascinated by the subject. But when he sought guidance from Philipp von Jolly, a respected German physicist and his own professor, he received some unexpected advice:

"Theoretical physics is a highly developed, nearly fully matured science. With the discovery of the principle of conservation of energy, it will arguably soon take its final stable form."

In short: Don’t bother. The field is done evolving.

For most students, hearing this from an esteemed professor would be enough to reconsider their career path. But Planck wasn't like most students.

He listened, considered, and ultimately ignored the advice. His instincts told him there was still more to uncover. That decision led him to develop quantum theory—a discovery that shattered classical physics and reshaped our understanding of the universe (and earned Planck a Nobel Prize).

Portrait of a young Max Planck a few years after his pivotal decision (1878).

Advice is often well-intended and, more often than not, correct. Those with experience see patterns the inexperienced may not. But sometimes, even the wisest voices can’t predict what’s just beyond the horizon.

Von Jolly wasn’t trying to mislead Planck—he was simply drawing from what he knew. Yet if Planck had taken that advice as absolute truth, modern physics might have stalled for decades.

“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.”

- Max Planck

In life, people will always have opinions on what you should do, how you should do it, and why. Most of the time, it pays to listen. But if, after careful thought, you feel strongly about your path, don’t let someone else’s certainty override your own.

The best breakthroughs—whether in science, art, or personal growth—come from those who trust their vision, even when the world tells them otherwise.

So now I ask you:

What’s something you believe in, even if others don’t see it yet?

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