THOUGHTS OF ALBERT EINSTEIN

THOUGHTS OF ALBERT EINSTEIN

ABOUT ITSELF 

-DO NOT HAVE ANY SPECIAL TALENT. I AM ONLY PASSIONATELY CURIOUS. (TO CARL SEELING, 1952). 

WORK AND SUCCESS 

- IF A IS SUCCESS IN LIFE, THEN A = X AND Z. THE WORK IS THE X, THE GAME THE AND, AND Z IS KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. (PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1929). 

-ONLY A LIFE LIVED FOR OTHERS IS A LIFE THAT IS WORTH (QUOTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1932). 

APPEARANCE 

- IF YOU WANT TO SEE ME, HERE I AM. IF YOU WANT TO SEE MY CLOTHES, THAT OPEN MY LOCKER. (TOLD TO ELSA, HIS SECOND SPOUSE, SINCE IT SUGGESTED THAT IT BE CHANGED BEFORE RECEIVING A VISIT, 1932) 

EDUCATION 

-DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE NOTES. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE TASKS A DAY AND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT A YEAR. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE GOOD GRADES AT ALL. (TO HIS SON HANS ALBERT, 1916). 

-I THOUGHT A LITTLE T VILL'INK - I WILL THINK A BIT. BANESH HOFFMAN, (THIS IS THE PHRASE THAT EINSTEIN USED HIS BAD ENGLISH WHEN I NEEDED MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT A PROBLEM. PROPER DICTION IS: I WILL THINK A LITTLE). 

SCIENCE AND RELATIVITY 

- AN HOUR SITTING WITH A PRETTY GIRL ON A PARK BENCH PASSES LIKE A MINUTE, BUT A MINUTE SITTING ON A HOT STOVE SEEMS AN HOUR. (EXPLANATION OF RELATIVITY GIVEN BY EINSTEIN TO HIS SECRETARY HELEN DUKAS SO REPEAT IT TO REPORTERS AND PROFANE IN THE SUBJECT) 

- IT IS DIFFICULT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE LETTERS OF GOD. BUT THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO PLAY DICE WITH THE WORLD... THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE FOR ONE MOMENT. (TO CORNEL LANCZOS, 1942) 

GOD AND RELIGION

 
-NO CAN IMAGINE A GOD WHO REWARDS AND PUNISHES THE OBJECTS OF HIS CREATION. I ALSO BELIEVE THE INDIVIDUAL TO SURVIVE THE DEATH OF THE BODY, WHILE THE WEAK SPIRITS ARGUE THAT IDEA BY FEAR OR A RIDICULOUS SELFISHNESS. FOR ME IT IS ENOUGH TO CONTEMPLATE THE MYSTERY OF CONSCIOUS LIFE PERPERTUANDOSE THROUGHOUT ETERNITY. (OF WHAT I BELIEVE, FORUM AND CENTURY 84, 1930). 

LOVE AND MARRIAGE 



- ONLY MARRIAGE IS SLAVERY WITH CIVILIZED APPEARANCE (QUOTED BY KONRAD WASCHSMANN IN GRÜNING) 

RACES AND PREJUDICE 



- RACE IS A FRAUD. ALL MODERN PEOPLES ARE A CONGLOMERATE OF MANY ETHNIC MIXTURES THAT THERE IS NO PURE-BRED. (IN AN INTERVIEW IN SATURDAY EVENING POST). 

NATIONALISM 



-IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE BOTH. NATIONALISM IS AN INFANTILE DISEASE. IT IS THE MEASLES OF MANKIND. (WHEN ASKED IF I WAS CONSIDERED GERMAN OR JEWISH, 1929).

ATOMIC ENERGY 



- WITH THE EMERGENCE OF NUCLEAR POWER, OUR GENERATION HAS BROUGHT TO THE WORLD THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY FORCE SINCE MAN DISCOVERED FIRE. (IN A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE EMERGENCY COMMITTEE OF ATOMIC SCIENTISTS, 1947). 

WAR

-DO NOT KNOW (WHAT WEAPONS WILL BE USED IN THE THIRD WORLD WAR). BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WILL BE USED IN THE FOURTH: STONES! (FROM AN INTERVIEW IN 1949). 

- THE MAN WHO ENJOYS MARCHING IN RANK TO THE RHYTHM OF THE MUSIC HAS ALL MY CONTEMPT. THIS HEROISM TO ORDER, THIS SENSELESS VIOLENCE, THIS DAMN SHOW OF PATRIOTISM WITH WHAT INTENSITY THE CONTEMPT! THE WAR IS LOW AND DESPICABLE, AND I PREFER TO MAKE PIECES TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING SO (WHAT I BELIEVE)