Rules for failure

William Beatty was writing for amateur scientists, but it’s pretty global:

The road to failure often contains:
1. Secrecy
2. The conviction that someone is about to steal your idea.
3. Focus on selling your idea to the government or a big corporation.
4. Loss of humility and focus on fame
5. Belief that scientists and businesses (the smart ones) will hail your discovery.

SCIENCE HOBBYIST: Rules for unconventional researchers.