Reflecting on Perelman

Sunday reflection... (yesterday was Grigori Perelman's birthday):

"[Grigori] Perelman's aversion to public spectacle and to riches is mystifying to many... I want to say I have complete empathy and admiration for his inner strength and clarity, to be able to know and hold true to himself. Our true needs are deeper -- yet in our modern society most of us reflexively and relentlessly pursue wealth, consumer goods, and admiration. We have learned from Perelman's mathematics. Perhaps we should also pause to reflect on ourselves and learn from Perelman's attitude toward life."

-- Bill Thurston, quoted in Michael Harris's "Mathematics Without Apologies"