Etya Amsalem

I read this book both when I was very young and deep into my academic career. Both times, I found different layers of meanings in it. As a scientist of social behavior, I was inspired by Vaculík’s perspective that a true observer “isn’t a farmer impatient for his seeds to germinate.” A true observer should neither care about the outcome nor stand in anticipation of supporting their hypothesis. Instead, as scientists, we should try our best to describe the world as is and find the beauty in it.