Steven Strogatz — American Mathematician born on August 13, 1959,

Steven Henry Strogatz is an American mathematician and the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University. He is known for his contributions to the study of synchronization in dynamical systems, for his research in a variety of areas of applied mathematics, including mathematical biology and complex network theory, and for his outreach work in the public communication of mathematics... (wikipedia)

When you create something new, you're breaking tradition - which is an act of defiance.
One of the pleasures of looking at the world through mathematical eyes is that you can see certain patterns that would otherwise be hidden.
When you love a problem, its contours, obstacles and resistances are all just part of its character.
You can get a certain amount of pleasure as a mathematical spectator, reading and watching some of the most beautiful arguments that have been created in the history of humanity. But that's too passive.