“The Research Man’s Prayer”

Help me be MANIC so I may be joyous though the results are equivocal.

Help me be DEPRESSIVE for when a prediction is verified, I must know that it will not later be confirmed.

Help me be SADISTIC so I suffer not though the subjects be sorely anguished.

Help me be MASOCHISTIC for even the most obstinate experimental animal should be a pleasure to me.

Help me be PSYCHOPATHIC to quiet the guilt when I tell loved ones that the experiment is going well.

Help me be SCHIZOPHRENIC to sustain myself by finding hopeful trends in random data.

Help me be PARANOID so I can see in the hostile attitudes of others the supremacy of my own work.

Help me to have ANXIETY ATTACKS so that even on holidays I find myself toiling in the laboratory.

And finally,

Help my wife get a job! for when I cross over the shadowy border of normalcy, somebody will have to support the kids. Amen.

-- R.A McCleary in the Worm Runner's Digest, November 1960

Obviously the prayer of a scientist - however, that of a researcher in the hmanities would not be materially different!

"A Board Member's Prayer"

Help me not to be Irked by other board member's negative posts

Help me not be Irritated by people who preach (whatever)

Help me to keep on Thinking and being positive towards other people who think and explore.

Most of all let me be free to step beyond the narrow borders of "normalcy"