Stop Saying You "Could Never Do Science"

When I tell people that I'm majoring in molecular biology, I usually get a response that's something like this: "I could never do biology." Or worse: "I could never do science." This seems to be a common response that people in the sciences get when they talk about how they spend their time in school or at work. My friend who majors in psychology, my editor who has a physics degree, my high school mentor with a doctorate in neuroscience--they all tell me that they get some version of the "that would be too hard for me!" response when they share their credentials. It feels like I might be gearing up for years and years of being on the receiving end of the "wow, that's too hard for me" response. Every time I hear it I want to yell, No! Stop! Have some faith in yourself!