Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Wisdom of Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (American physicist, 1879-1955) was in the news again, this time in a special NPR report, "a bizarre story that involves a dead genius, a stolen brain, a rogue scientist and a crazy idea that turned out not to be so crazy." Somehow this odd story fits Einstein's reputation as an eccentric genius.

It reminded me that much of what Albert Einstein said is wonderfully profound and that the best part of him wasn't eccentric at all. Here are some quotes that may surprise you...

On AWARENESS - “The difference between what the most and the least learned people know is inexpressibly trivial in relation to that which is unknown.”

On COMMITMENT - "Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person."

On CREATIVITY “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

On EXCELLENCE - "We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility."

On GENEROSITY - “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”

On HONESTY - "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with the important matters." 

On HUMILITY "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong."

On INTUITION - "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." 

On OPEN-MINDEDNESS - “The world we have created today has problems which cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them."

On PERSEVERANCE - “I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”

On RATIONALITY - “Everything must be made as simple as possible but not one bit simpler.” 

On SELF-ESTEEM - “Few are those who see with their own eyes, and feel with their own hearts.” 

On SPIRITUALITY - “The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”

On TOLERANCE - “Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population.”

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (1921 photo by F. Schmutzer, public domain due to expired copyright.)

1 comment:

Megan Zuniga said...

Thanks for this great post. Albert Einstein truly is a wonderful man. Not only is he rich in knowledge but he's rich in wisdom as well. I especially love his quote on creativity.