becoming a scientist, Smolin about Einstein

In the book Curious Minds: How a Child Becomes a Scientist, Lee Smolin writes about reading Einstein's essay "Autobiographical Notes":

"One of [Einstein's] ideas that appealed to me was that by becoming a scientist you could transcend the pain and uncertainty of ordinary life. By grasping the laws of nature, you connected with an aspect of the world more permanent and beautiful than the short striving of human life."

As if the practice of science were certain and painless...