Science & Tech Quote by Steve Wozniak

Wozniak’s line reads like a simple reminiscence, but it’s really a compact origin story for how talent becomes identity. The energy isn’t in “science” so much as in “recognizing.” The moment teachers name him as smart, the label starts doing work: it turns private curiosity into a public role he can inhabit, protect, and amplify. Praise doesn’t just reward achievement here; it creates a feedback loop where competence becomes a kind of social currency, and the kid learns what version of himself gets noticed.

The subtext is less “work hard” than “attention shapes ambition.” Wozniak isn’t describing a solitary genius grinding away in a garage. He’s describing a system - a classroom - where small signals from authority figures can steer a student toward deeper commitment. “That made me want to be even smarter” is blunt, almost childlike, and that’s why it lands: the motivation is openly relational, not noble. He wants to become more of the thing that earns affirmation.

In context, it also maps neatly onto Silicon Valley mythology, but with a quieter twist. Tech culture loves the story of innate brilliance; Wozniak highlights the interpersonal mechanics that help brilliance stick. There’s a caution embedded too: if praise can build a scientist, neglect can just as easily erase one. What looks like confidence is often the afterglow of being seen at the right time.