The Incredibly Complex Life Of Stephen Hawking

Using His Disease As Motivation

Photo Credits: Jean-Regis Rouston/Roger Viollet/Getty Images

At first, Hawking slipped into a deep depression, ignoring the advice of his professors and family to return to his work. However, after sharing a room with a boy who had Leukemia and experiencing a series eye-opening dreams, Hawking made the decision to not become completely defeated by his condition.

Although he had never been the most studious student, the thought of him not living long enough to even earn his Ph.D. caused Hawking to devote himself to his work. Although he had once stated that he had been “bored with life [..] with not much seeming worth doing,” his diagnosis changed everything. With a little help from Sciama, he was back at Cambridge with the goal to obtain his Ph.D.