The Big Bang Theory squad may include two Nobel Prize winners and an astronaut, but who had the best work ethic on the show? This question is a tricky one since the show mainly featured scientists, and in the world of academia, growth and progress cannot be measured on a straight line. Sheldon, Raj and the others have had professional setbacks and yet have managed to excel in their respective fields.
It’s clear that almost everyone on the show valued hard work, however, it's hard to say who was the most dedicated to their profession or field of research. Was it the astrophysicist, Raj, who was featured alongside Hollywood stars in a "30 Under 30" feature spread, or is it the microbiologist and pharmaceutical rep, Bernadette, who seems to have all under control?
Barry
Barry can’t seem to keep his personal and professional rivalries separate and he is not driven by a healthy sense of competition, but usually lets his petty jealousies drive him. He’s professional and serious about his research, however, he doesn’t believe in himself enough to let success take its course.
While it’s perfectly fine to fight for a promotion or a tenure, Barry did it quite sneakily. Instead of focusing on his research, he actually spent a whole lot of time cultivating a friendship with the head of HR simply so she could recommend his name for tenure.
Penny
Penny has had two very different jobs on the show. She goes from a struggling actor and waitress to a pharmaceutical sales representative. The show establishes quite clearly that she’s not a good waitress, although she was very serious about her showbiz career and was eager to work on herself as well. But once she takes on the job of a sales rep, she realizes she could be good at it, which definitely helps her self-esteem.
But how professional she was about gaining a footing in the industry is debatable - she doesn’t study well for her test, even though Bernadette tries her best to motivate her, and although she was a competent sales rep, she does resort to some unfair means to boost her sales.
Raj
There were many factors that drove Raj to consider a career in astrophysics. He was, of course, influenced by parental expectations and he also wanted to make a life for himself in America. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is an absolute genius, and various storylines have established that he does love his field of study.
However, he’s not completely devoted to his research - the biggest example of this is how he spent three months doing nothing when he was about to be deported. Although he’s a great scientist, his priorities are all over the place and despite his stellar credentials, his work ethic is lacking in certain aspects.
Stuart
Determining Stuart’s work ethic is tricky. He owns a comic book store and is obviously very passionate about it and nerd culture. He works towards establishing a community that includes board game nights with locals and book signings with celebs, and he also stocks up on vintage collectibles that enthusiasts may appreciate.
However, he makes very little effort to keep up with his competition, as it is revealed that most comic book stores are diversifying with online sales and the option of coffee and refreshments. So, it’s not entirely clear how dedicated he is to making his business a success.
Leonard
Leonard has often been criticized for not working on original research and his thesis has even been called derivative by Sheldon. But he has a really healthy dynamic with his work and since he has a passion for what he does, his work ethic is quite sound.
It's clear that he loves spending time in his lab and likes talking about his work and since he enjoys his work so much, he can find a balance, even when work gets too demanding. It helps that Leonard doesn’t let his success or his scientific prowess define him on a personal level, since it helps him sustain his work ethic.
Bernadette
Bernadette is a total workhorse and has one of the strongest work ethics on the show. When she is introduced, she’s studying to be a microbiologist and is also part-timing as a waitress to pay for her tuition, and even with two jobs, she was a better waitress than Penny. It didn’t take Bernadette long to be headhunted by a big company, as she also acquired her doctorate at the same time.
Bernadette is headstrong and dynamic and very motivated in her job. Not only has she managed to find a steady balance between work and personal life, she actually helped Penny land a job, which suggests she is not just extremely professional, but also leader material.
Amy
Amy is a Nobel Prize winner and it goes without saying that she’s incredibly expected in her field. And though she has often resorted to sketchy techniques for her research, which may even border on animal abuse, Amy is very focused on where her career is headed.
Interestingly, as a scientist, she’s more grounded than Sheldon since he can often get quite delusional about his own merits. And though there have been times when Amy has prioritized her personal pursuits over her job, her career is never really on the back foot for long and she has always managed to have a sense of direction about her career.
Howard
Unlike Sheldon, Howard doesn’t take his professional merits too seriously, except when he goes to space, but that does merit some amount of self-glorification. But despite being mocked for not having a doctorate, Howard never lets it get in the way of his work. He is an incredible engineer and is clearly an astute technical expert who seems to enjoy quite a bit of respect in the scientific community.
In the first couple of seasons, Howard uses resources at his disposal to impress women and even causes the Mars Rover accident, which makes international news. But a few hiccups aside, Howard has been depicted as someone who understands the merits of hard work without being too carried away by his success.
Sheldon
Sheldon’s sense of self is hugely tied to his worth as a scientist, which is what gives him such an unparalleled work ethic. The theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner is so obsessed with optimizing his intellect and his resources in favor of science that he very rarely takes anything else seriously.
This is, of course, not healthy, since he has no work-life balance and is simply too occupied with his professional and scientific pursuits to think about how he impacts others. On the other hand, Sheldon has an unflinching devotion to science, so much so that he even quit his coveted job as a leading scientist in a California university to accept a working-class job so he could spend more time on solving a science problem.