Steven Scholte has been working at the UvA since 2004. He started as an assistant professor in the Psychology department and became an associate professor in 2009. Besides teaching and his research into the field of brain and cognition, Steven is also the head of the Spinoza centre and CEO of Neurensics, a company specialised in market and consumer neuroscience research.
Steven Scholte has been working at the UvA since 2004. He started as an assistant professor in the Psychology department and became an associate professor in 2009. Besides teaching and his research into the field of brain and cognition, Steven is also the head of the Spinoza centre and CEO of Neurensics, a company specialised in market and consumer neuroscience research.
Quote about cynics
‘This is one of several quotes from a box that I have bought myself. These quotes function as a conversation starter and often reflect the mood I am in. This one in specific is interesting since people tend to see me as a cynic, although I do not think of myself as cynical. I am rather someone who is
an idealist. I deal with things the way they are and do not try to see them in a more positive or negative light. But ideally, I do want things to be better. The quote is a nice repacking of cynicism and just brightens my day. It is also a good way of identifying others like me: when somebody reads it and smiles, I know for sure that we are kindred spirits.’
Figure of Egyptian god Thoth
‘I went on a trip to Egypt during my time as a PhD candidate and wanted to purchase a souvenir of a god I felt attached to. Thoth, the god of writing, magic and wisdom, is the closest thing related to science I could think of, which is why I wanted to purchase a figure of him. Since it is common to bargain in Egypt, I tried to find out what different sellers wanted for this figure to have a baseline I could work with when bargaining. However, despite my attempts to bargain, the figure cost forty Dutch guilders in every store so I eventually bought it for that price in the hotel I was staying in. It is a memento of my time as a PhD candidate, the life I had back then and the relationship I was in.’
Penguin doll
‘The penguin doll is a gift from Renée Visser, a PhD student I was co-supervising and who works at the Clinical Psychology programme group now. She is quite tall, and she has a certain way of walking which sometimes makes you think of a penguin. She adopted “penguin” as a nom de guerre, so soon after I started supervising her that became my nickname for her as well. The joke went so far that when I went to ARTIS Zoo with my daughter Anna, I told her that penguins are called “Renées”. Renée probably saw her nickname as a term of endearment or she would not have gifted me this doll.’
Quote about cynics
‘This is one of several quotes from a box that I have bought myself. These quotes function as a conversation starter and often reflect the mood I am in. This one in specific is interesting since people tend to see me as a cynic, although I do not think of myself as cynical. I am rather someone who is
an idealist. I deal with things the way they are and do not try to see them in a more positive or negative light. But ideally, I do want things to be better. The quote is a nice repacking of cynicism and just brightens my day. It is also a good way of identifying others like me: when somebody reads it and smiles, I know for sure that we are kindred spirits.’
Figure of Egyptian god Thoth
‘I went on a trip to Egypt during my time as a PhD candidate and wanted to purchase a souvenir of a god I felt attached to. Thoth, the god of writing, magic and wisdom, is the closest thing related to science I could think of, which is why I wanted to purchase a figure of him. Since it is common to bargain in Egypt, I tried to find out what different sellers wanted for this figure to have a baseline I could work with when bargaining. However, despite my attempts to bargain, the figure cost forty Dutch guilders in every store so I eventually bought it for that price in the hotel I was staying in. It is a memento of my time as a PhD candidate, the life I had back then and the relationship I was in.’
Penguin doll
‘The penguin doll is a gift from Renée Visser, a PhD student I was co-supervising and who works at the Clinical Psychology programme group now. She is quite tall, and she has a certain way of walking which sometimes makes you think of a penguin. She adopted “penguin” as a nom de guerre, so soon after I started supervising her that became my nickname for her as well. The joke went so far that when I went to ARTIS Zoo with my daughter Anna, I told her that penguins are called “Renées”. Renée probably saw her nickname as a term of endearment or she would not have gifted me this doll.’
