Stephen William Hawking, Essay Example

Helen Keller may be the most famous historical figure with disability but fortunately we still have brave souls like her among us such as Stephen W. Hawking. Hawking’s life demonstrates that life has a way of rewarding perseverance no matter how much the odds may be against the individual.

Hawking has been suffering from incurable motor-neuron disease since the age of 21 and even admits how hopeless his life seemed at first, “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.” (Solomon). But Hawking didn’t give up and now he is one of the finest scientific brains around. Hawking may not have the teacher that Helen Keller had but computing technology has advanced to such an extent that it allows Hawking to talk and transport from one place to another. Despite the prejudice against individuals with disabilities, there is never a shortage of those who would do anything to listen to Hawking in person. Hawking has proven that human spirit is stronger than anything and an individual who has lost the ability to even communicate now studies some of the most complex and perplexing scientific puzzles including the Black Hole.

It may also be that Hawking’s achievements would not have as great without his disability as they are now. Doctors had expectations of a short life when Hawking was first diagnosed at the age of 21 which might have motivated Hawking to work harder to make as much contributions to science as would be possible in his short life. Hawking may also have been inspired by the desire to be defined by his life achievements rather than disability. Nevertheless, even with serious limitations as compared to his counterparts, Hawking stand above almost all of them and his life proves that sooner or later, perseverance does pay off.

Reference

Solomon, Deborah. The Science of Second-Guessing. 12 December 2004. 27 April 2013 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/12/magazine/12QUESTIONS.html?_r=0>.