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20 Brilliant Quotes From Albert Einstein, the Theoretical Physicist Who Became World Famous

Albert einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time, is best known for his theory of relativity. but he also spoke about social justice, morality and happiness. here's a sample of famous einstein quotes..

This article was originally published on May 19, 2021.

Decades after his death, Albert Einstein's legacy carries on. He is often regarded as the father of modern physics in light of his revolutionary ideas that have shaped our understanding of the universe .

The prolific scientist's rise to celebrity status, however, didn't happen overnight. Unlike many other famous scientists of his time , Einstein lacked a flawless education record and wasn’t well connected in the scientific community. He perfectly embodied the stereotype of a lone genius and typically worked by himself. In 1905, the year he turned 26, Einstein published four groundbreaking papers that laid the foundations for his theory of relativity, E=mc2 and quantum mechanics. But his work largely flew under the radar at the time.

A solar eclipse in 1919 was the watershed moment for his career, when one of his general relativity predictions was confirmed by astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington. Einstein went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect — not for relativity, ironically.

Needless to say, Einstein didn't require much of an introduction to the American public by the time he immigrated to the U.S. in 1933 as he sought asylum during Hitler's rise to power. Einstein, who accepted a position at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, often used the limelight to share his views on politics, religion and everything in between. Both German-born and Jewish, Einstein was in a unique position to speak out against Nazi Germany and the persecution of Jewish people. The scientist also criticized the racism, discrimination and injustice that he observed in America .

Near the end of his life, Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel — a position he turned down, citing a lack of experience and people skills. He passed away a few years later in 1955 of heart failure. He left behind a lifetime worth of remarkable scientific contributions and social commentary that lives on today.

Einstein is perhaps the most quoted scientist of all time, with remarks about life, morality and social justice being among the most famous Einstein quotes — something he didn't exactly intend for. In 1953 he quipped: "In the past it never occurred to me that every casual remark of mine would be snatched up and recorded. Otherwise I would have crept further into my shell."

Nevertheless, the words he left behind may be the best way to go inside the mind of the legend. Here is a collection of Einstein quotes — from inspiring to thought-provoking — that offer a glimpse into how he saw the world and his work.

Top 20 Albert Einstein Quotes

1. "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."

2. "Where the world ceases to be the scene of our personal hopes and wishes, where we face it as free beings admiring, asking, observing, there we enter the realm of art and science."

3. "A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space." 

4. "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music ... I cannot tell if I would have done any creative work of importance in music, but I do know that I get most joy in life out of my violin."

5. “The greatest scientists are artists as well.”

6. “It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception.”

7. "I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am." 8. "The supreme task of the physicist is to arrive at those universal elementary laws from which the cosmos can be built up by pure deduction. There is no logical path to these laws; only intuition, resting on sympathetic understanding of experience, can reach them."

9. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

10. "I believe in one thing — that only a life lived for others is a life worth living."

11. "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

12. "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed."

13. "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day." 14. "My interest in science was always essentially limited to the study of principles ... That I have published so little is due to this same circumstance, as the great need to grasp principles has caused me to spend most of my time on fruitless pursuits."

15. "My passion for social justice has often brought me into conflict with people, as has my aversion to any obligation and dependence I did not regard as absolutely necessary."

16. "Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies."

17. "Science is international but its success is based on institutions, which are owned by nations. If therefore, we wish to promote culture we have to combine and to organize institutions with our own power and means."

18. "Why does this magnificent applied science which saves work and makes life easier bring us so little happiness? The simple answer runs: Because we have not yet learned to make sensible use of it."

19. "One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike — and yet it is the most precious thing we have."

20. "All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."

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40 Of The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

These quotes about critical thinking can be used to generate reflection, writing & discussion about critical thinking’s value in a society.

Here Are The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

If we were to step inside 1,000 classrooms across the United States, how much critical thinking would we see?

We see ‘critical thinking’ name-dropped and splattered across school mission statements throughout the country. Elementary, middle, and high schools proclaim their commitment to cultivating critical thinkers, and recognize the importance of critical thinking skills that employers look for in potential employers. But to what extent are schools and teachers and curricula actually accomplishing the goal of developing lifelong learners who think critically?

Of all the dialogue spoken in a single class period, what percentage of it is worded in the form of questions, versus statements or directions?

Of the questions asked, to what degree do they promote, require, allow for, or otherwise nurture higher-level thinking?

We’ve curated a list of 40 quotes about critical thinking — the purpose of compiling this collection is to provide perspective on what critical thinking looks, sounds, and feels like (and what it doesn’t) so that educators and education leaders can cross-reference their curricular and instructional materials. In addition to inspiring teachers, these quotes about critical thinking might also be used as prompts to generate reflection, writing, and discussion among students about the value of critical thinking to a society, and what happens in a society where critical thinking is diminishing.

A. A. Milne: “The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. A second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. A first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.”

Adrienne Rich: “Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.

Albert Einstein: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Anaïs Nin: “When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow.”

Anatole France: “An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don’t.”

Aristotle: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

Bell Hooks: “Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position.”

Bertrand Russell: “The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction.”

Carol Wade: “People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course, and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases.”

Christopher Hitchens: “The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

Confucius: “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

Daniel Levitin: “Critical thinking is not something you do once with an issue and then drop it. It requires that we update our knowledge as new information comes in.”

Desmond Tutu: “My father used to say, ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

Duke Ellington: “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

Elon Musk: “I think it’s important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it is like something else that was done, or it is like what other people are doing. [With first principles] you boil things down to the most fundamental truths…and then reason up from there.”

Howard Zinn: “We all have an enormous responsibility to bring to the attention of others information they do not have, which has the potential of causing them to rethink long-held ideas.”

James Baldwin: “The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it—at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change.”

Jean Piaget: “The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.”

John Dewey: “Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheep-like passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving…conflict is a sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity.”

Jonathan Haidt: “We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put individuals together in the right way, such that some individuals can use their reasoning powers to disconfirm the claims of others, and all individuals feel some common bond or shared fate that allows them to interact civilly, you can create a group that ends up producing good reasoning as an emergent property of the social system. This is why it’s so important to have intellectual and ideological diversity within any group or institution whose goal is to find truth (such as intelligence agency or a community of scientists) or to produce good public policy (such as a legislature or advisory board)..”

J. William Fulbright: “We must dare to think about ‘unthinkable things’ because when things become ‘unthinkable,’ thinking stops and action becomes mindless.”

Lawrence Balter: “You want to prepare your child to think as they get older. You want them to be critical in their judgments. Teaching a child, by your example, that there’s never any room for negotiating or making choices in life may suggest that you expect blind obedience, but it won’t help them, in the long run, to be discriminating in choices and thinking.”

Leo Tolstoy: “Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking.”

Marie Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “To think incisively and to think for one’s self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.”

Mason Cooley: “The critical spirit never knows when to stop meddling.”

Max Beerbohm: “The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions.”

Naomi Wolf: “Obstacles, of course, are developmentally necessary: they teach kids strategy, patience, critical thinking, resilience, and resourcefulness.”

Noam Chomsky: “I try to encourage people to think for themselves, to question standard assumptions…Don’t take assumptions for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is conventional wisdom. Make it justify itself. It usually can’t. Be willing to ask questions about what is taken for granted. Try to think things through for yourself.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes: “A mind stretched by new ideas never goes back to its original dimensions.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

Randi Weingarten: “Standardized testing is at cross purposes with many of the most important purposes of public education. It doesn’t measure big-picture learning, critical thinking, perseverance, problem-solving, creativity, or curiosity; yet, those are the qualities great teaching brings out in a student.”

Richard Dawkins: “Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.”

Richard Feynman: “We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.”

Robert Grudin: “To act vulgarly we must be ignorant not only of other people but of ourselves, not only of the nature of our action but of its ramifications in the world at large. To act vulgarly, we must indulge our own ignorance in large, mutually supportive groups. By vulgarity, I mean a comprehensive cultural laxity that spawns monstrosities and is fed by a corporate system that has abandoned long-term development in favor of quarterly profits, by media whose moral standards are based on viewer share, and by a system of higher education that has sold out its image of the humanities and critical thinking as the main bases for consciousness and values.”

Sadhguru: “When your mind is full of assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs, it has no penetration, it just repeats past impressions.”

Stanley Kubrick: “If chess has any relationship to film-making, it would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive.”

Steve Jobs: “Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Terry Heick: “Critical thinking is certainly a ‘skill’ but when possessed as a mindset–a playful and humble willingness–it shifts from a labor to an art. It asks, ‘Is this true? By what standard?”

How about a quote for those considering a teaching job ? Thomas J. Watson, Sr.: “Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of crackpot than the stigma of conformity.”

Sir William Bragg: “The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”

William James: “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

After reading the quotes about critical thinking, which ones most resonate with you? Which quotes about critical thinking embody what you’re already doing well in the classroom? Which ones signal a need to revise your current approach or strategies?

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

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14 Quotes from Einstein on Education (with Sources)

On Schooling:   ‘’It is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry. ’’  [quoted in The New York Times , March 13 1949, p. 34].

On Imagination: ‘ ’Knowledge is limited.  Imagination encircles the world. ’’ [quoted in “What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck” Saturday Evening Post , October 26th, 1929, p. 11].

On Love of Learning : ’I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious .’’ [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 548].

On Creativity: ‘’It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.’ ‘ [quoted in Alice Calaprice, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 100].

On Play : “The desire to arrive finally at logically connected concepts is the emotional basis of a vague play with basic ideas. . . . . this combinatory or associative play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.”   [quoted in Jacques Hadamard, An Essay on the Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field , Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1945, p. 142].

On Curiosity : “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity.’’  [quoted in, ‘’Death of a Genius–Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity,’’ Life Magazine 38, no. 18, (May 2, 1955): p. 64].

On Wonder: ”The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, a snuffled-out candle.”  [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 387].

On Individuality:   ”The development of general ability for independent thinking and judgment should always be placed foremost, not the acquisition of special knowledge. . .”   [quoted in Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions , Broadway Books, p. 64].

On Neurodiversity : His son, Albert Einstein Jr. wrote: ” [Einstein] was . . . considered backward by his teachers. He told me that his teachers reported to his father that he was mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams .” [quoted in Victor Goertzel and Mildred G. Goertzel, Cradles of Eminence, p. 248.

On Compassion:   ‘’ Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty .’’  [quoted in Walter Sullivan, ‘’The Einstein Papers: A Man of Many Parts,’’ The New York Times , March 29, 1972, p. 20].

On Care for Nature :  ” In every true searcher of Nature there is a kind of religious reverence .”  [quoted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 32].

On Tolerance :  ‘’ Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population. ’’ [quoted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 297].

On Beauty:   ‘’ To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly; this is religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I am a devoutly religious man .”  [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 387].

On Education:   ‘’ The wit was not wrong who defined education in this way: ‘Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned in school .’’ [quoted in Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions , p. 63].

This page was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com .

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10 examples of critical thinking that changed the world

It’s fair to say that Einstein was using critical thinking skills during the 10 years that it took him to create his Theory of General Relativity. Other physicists assumed that the differences in the ways that bodies fall were too small to be of significance, but Einstein—a 28-year-old clerk at a patent office—could see that these details deserved further investigation.

He had to come up with another, more creative, solution.

“Suddenly a thought struck me,” he recalled. “If a man falls freely, he would not feel his weight… This simple thought experiment… led me to the theory of gravity.”

From this he predicted the existence of gravitational waves, which control how every sun, planet, and object in our universe behaves.

In 2016, the LIGO collaboration proved him right: they announced their first direct detection of gravitational waves in “the scientific breakthrough of the century.” Professor Stephen Hawking said the discovery had “the potential to revolutionize astronomy.”

“Being bold enough to let your mind go where good arguments take you, even if it’s to places that make you feel uncomfortable, may lead you to discoveries about the world and yourself.” (Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, by George W. Rainbolt and Sandra L. Dwyer)

Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity places him among the most influential nonconformists, mavericks, and free-thinkers in history. Charles Darwin might also spring to mind. Maybe Galileo, Marie Curie, or Simone de Beauvoir.

We know them as geniuses, eccentrics, independent spirits, or even rebels. But what they all have in common is the ability to think creatively and critically about the world, putting aside their peers’ ignorance or assumptions to see new connections in the most mundane situations and change our view of the universe. They are critical thinkers.

1. Albert Einstein

C.P. Snow put it best: “One of [Einstein’s] greatest intellectual gifts, in small matters as well as great, was to strip off the irrelevant frills from a problem.”

(From Einstein: The First Hundred Years )

If you take one critical thinking tip from Einstein, make it…

If something looks wrong, then it’s probably worth finding out why. Trust your own judgement based on the facts, not the assumptions of others, and look for a solution within the details.

2. Charles Darwin

Darwin’s ability to see new connections in mundane situations led him to map out a new theory—evolution—that changed the way we saw the world.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Darwin, make it…

Sometimes the most profound discoveries are hidden in seemingly unlikely places; look where others don’t, and enjoy the sense of discovery and excitement.

3. Galileo Galilei

Pioneering astronomer, philosopher, and—after his discoveries caused uproar in lazy thinkers within religious circles—“ defender of truth in the face of ignorance. ”

If you take one critical thinking tip from Galileo, make it…

Great critical thinkers evaluate arguments to see how they stand up, putting to one side the conclusions and assumptions of others—and filter for themselves what resonates as right or wrong.

4. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspired millions with his talent for argument; his “I have a dream” speech—a rallying cry for equal rights—still resonates 50 years on.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Martin Luther King Jr, make it…

Developing a strategy, organizing an argument, and learning the art of persuasion are the keys to changing the world.

5. Simone de Beauvoir

The most radical feminist thinker of the 20th century;  The Second Sex  was the first work to argue for equality that respected a woman’s individuality and voice.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Simone de Beauvoir, make it…

Don’t be afraid to think differently, even if that means challenging the basis of society itself.

6. Edwin Hubble

Discovered galaxies beyond the Milky Way—and proved that they were expanding—simply by gathering and analyzing more data than anyone else.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Edwin Hubble, make it…

Evidence, evidence, evidence. The more you have, and the more you can filter it to get to what’s really going on, the better your conclusion will be.

7. Marie Curie

Paved the way for x-rays and cancer treatment; her sense that pitchblende must include unknown radioactive elements led to the discovery of polonium and radium.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Marie Curie, make it…

Critical thinking is nothing to do with negativity or nitpicking. It’s about asking questions—the right questions. It’s about not accepting things on trust.

8. Sir Isaac Newton

Discovered universal gravitation “by thinking on it continually.” A genius known for a relentless passion for putting everything to rigorous test.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Sir Isaac Newton, make it…

Persistence in thinking and questioning the world around you is the key to more creative solutions where others see only masses of information.

9. Stanislav Petrov

Saved the world from a nuclear disaster during the Cold War; Petrov spotted a false computer report of an American missile strike and, trusting the facts at hand, halted a mistaken counter strike.

If you take one critical thinking tip from Stanislav Petrov, make it…

Form your own judgement based on the facts, and—once you’re sure of your ground—be willing to back it against all comers.

10. W. E. B. Du Bois

Inspired American civil rights movements by refusing to accept that some inequality could be exchanged for legal rights—a view held by other black intellectuals—and publishing his ideas in The Souls of Black Folk .

If you take one critical thinking tip from W. E. B. Du Bois, make it…

Critical thinking is important because it is what makes us adaptable, enables us to act independently, and allows us to move beyond what we already know or guess.

Can you suggest any other great critical thinkers or examples of great critical thinking? Let us know in the comments section below:

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GRACIOUS QUOTES

125 albert einstein quotes for deep thinking (genius), 35 wise and insightful albert einstein quotes.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life , of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day.” Albert Einstein

We have been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly just how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists. If this humility could be imparted to everybody, the world of human endeavors would become more appealing.” Albert Einstein

I still struggle with the same problems as ten years ago. I succeed in small matters but the real goal remains unattainable, even though it sometimes seems palpably close. It is hard, yet rewarding: hard because the goal is beyond my abilities, but rewarding because it makes one oblivious to the distractions of everyday life.” Albert Einstein

I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever.” Albert Einstein

27 Thought-provoking Yet Inspiring Quotes by Albert Einstein

A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” Albert Einstein

Although I am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth , beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated.” Albert Einstein

The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion, and final emergence into light—only those who have experienced it can understand that.” Albert Einstein

33 Famous Albert Einstein Quotes About Life

To see with one’s own eyes, to feel and judge without succumbing to the suggestive power of the fashion of the day, to be able to express what one has seen and felt in a trim sentence or even in a cunningly wrought word – is that not glorious? Is it not a proper subject for congratulation?” Albert Einstein

To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.” Albert Einstein

30 Powerful Albert Einstein Quotes that Will Blow Your Mind

Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.” Albert Einstein

Most teachers waste their time by asking questions that are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning is to discover what the pupil does know or is capable of knowing.” Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein Short Biography

The winner of the Nobel Prize for physic in 1921 , Albert Einstein is one of the most prominent physicists and mathematicians the world has ever witnessed.

Dubbed a genius due to his earth breaking scientific discoveries and ideas, Einstein is considered to be the most influential scientist of the 20th century.

Born on 14 March 1879, Ulm , Württemberg, Germany, Einstein fled the fatherland and immigrated to the USA in December 1932 (with the help of England ) – just a month before the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was targeted by the Nazi Party because he was a pacifist and a Jew. He made the decision to leave his country in the winter of 1932 – never to return again.

After emigrating to the United States, he took a position at the newly founded Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

When World War 2 started in 1939, many of Einstein’s discoveries (including the E=mc2 equation) had contributed to the basis of the development of the atomic bomb which ultimately led to the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

7 years after WWII, Israel’s premier, David Ben-Gurion offered Einstein to be the president of Israel which he inevitably declined.

He lived the last years of his life doing what he does best. He passed on 18 April 1955… and one of his final words were: “I am not the least afraid to die.”

Albert Einstein legacy lived on even after decades after his death, as physicists began to unravel the mystery of his unified field theory.

Even space satellites further verified the principles of his cosmology.

I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking. “ Albert Einstein

Here are the best quotes by Albert Einstein so you can be uplifted, encouraged, and be inspired to think differently.

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33 Quotes by Einstein That Will Make You Think

Albert Einstein Hand-Picked Quotes

Albert Einstein’s Unique Approach to Thinking

“I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.” — Albert Einstein

In the arena of scientific achievement and the quest to discover genius, Albert Einstein stands alone. He remains a profoundly important figure who undertook extraordinary, groundbreaking work that not only shaped the pillars of modern physics but greatly influenced the philosophy of science.

Quite literally, Einstein changed the way we see and travel across the world and cosmos. He was responsible for the  world’s most famous equation  and for discovering the theory of relativity, considered to be mankind’s highest intellectual discovery.

Einstein went about his work in unique ways. From visualization to daydreaming and even a dash of musical inspiration, Einstein’s creative insights and philosophical vantage points help guide the work we tackle today.

The power of play

“A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. But intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.” — Albert Einstein

Einstein took breaks from his work to play the violin. Beethoven favored “long, vigorous walks” in which he carried a pencil and blank sheet music. Mahler, Satie, and Tchaikovsky all believed in the power of the regularly-scheduled mid-day walk.

For some, it’s walks and breaks in the day. For others, it’s applying time to deep interest in areas that are completely different from their professional work. From music to painting, the pursuit of creative endeavors has the ability to help us discover and connect what we know to what we aspire to know.  

He viewed taking music breaks as an important part of his creative process. In addition to music, he was a proponent of ‘combinatory play’ — taking seemingly unrelated things outside the realms of science (art, ideas, music, thoughts), and blending them together to come up with new ideas.  It’s how he came up with his most famous equation , E=mc2.

“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought,” Einstein  wrote in a letter  (italicized in part below) to Jacques S. Hadamard, who was studying the thought process of mathematicians.

“…Words or the language, as they are written or spoken, do not seem to play any role in my mechanism of thought. The psychical entities which seem to serve as elements in thought are certain signs and more or less clear images which can be “voluntarily” reproduced and combined…but taken from a psychological viewpoint, this combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought — before there is any connection with logical construction in words or other kinds of signs which can be communicated to others.”  —Albert Einstein

Creativity can’t be taught, but it can be harnessed and embraced. Nothing stokes the fires of our creative wants more than the thought of instantaneous creative inspiration—the lightning bolt or apple falling from the sky. In reality, creativity blossoms when you feed it like a fire hungry for more logs. And, creativity reaches its maximum potential when it’s stoked in combination with knowledge, ideas, and skills you’ve acquired throughout life. It’s why filmmakers seek out inspiration in art museums and why composers find notes in the daily music of everyday life.

Ideas and interludes

As Maria Popova,  author of Brainpickings  writes, organic synthesis of ideas happens when we step back and examine the patterns. Don’t mistake these moments for the illustrious and oft-debated lightning bolt of inspiration, even though they can happen while we are walking, showering, or even meditating. Think of them as important moments that are part of a sequential creative process that happen while we work and play. Think of the work as peering through the lens of a microscope in a lab, and the creativity starts to percolate when you take a break from the lab, pick up an instrument, or go for a walk.

These interludes helped Einstein connect the dots of his experiments at opportune moments when he picked up the violin. “I fell in love with Albert because he played Mozart so beautifully on the violin,”  recalled his second wife, Elsa . “He also plays the piano. Music helps him when he is thinking about his theories. He goes to his study, comes back, strikes a few chords on the piano, jots something down, returns to his study.”

Beauty in the science

“This kind of mental play uses both unconscious and conscious thinking: scanning various stimuli and information, perceiving patterns and clear or hidden similarities between things or ideas, and playing with their interconnections, relationships, and links,”  notes researcher Victoria Stevens , who explored the neuroscience of creativity in  To Think Without Thinking .

Stevens notes that the link between problem solver and creative thinker is essential. “Combinatory play provides a fertile field for neuroaesthetic investigation into the direct link between play, imagination, creativity, and empathy,” she writes.

While this imaginative combinatory play was an essential part of Einstein’s productive thought, the same type of thinking and a playful nature are essential to all artistic creations.  

“Personally, I experience the greatest degree of pleasure in having contact with works of art,” Einstein said. “They furnish me with happy feelings of intensity that I cannot derive from other sources.”

Einstein’s work was greatly influenced by art, and influenced artists, in turn.

Salvador Dali’s surrealist work has roots in the tiniest scientific elements of Einstein’s work. Dali had great interest in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, and these atomic particles are the foundation of his painting  The Persistence of Memory , thought by some to represent the flexing of time.

Daydreaming FTW

Einstein’s early  academic and learning struggles are often debated .

As a 15 year old, he dropped out of school.  Einstein left school  because his teachers didn’t approve of visual imagination for learning, skills which became fundamental to his way of thinking. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” Einstein would say.

It’s no coincidence that around the same time, Einstein began to use thought experiments that would change the way he would think about his future experiments. His first, at age 16, saw him chasing after a light beam which would help launch his discovery of special relativity.

His innate ability to conceptualize complex scientific details became a hallmark of his research. His work on gravity was influenced by imagining riding a free-falling elevator. This flight of fancy eventually led him to understand that gravity and acceleration were essentially the same.  

Using these simple thought experiments, Einstein was able to understand that time and space are both shaped by matter—the basis for the theory of general relativity. It’s astonishing that this thought experiment changed everything we thought we knew about the universe. Newton’s ideas of the universe were one-dimensional, but Einstein proposed that our universe was four dimensions, where stars, planets, and celestial bodies formed a “fabric” that were dynamically influenced by the bending and curving of gravitational pull.

Only recently has mankind been equipped  to explore much of what his theory had proposed—supernovas, black holes, and the evolution of our solar system.

An enduring legacy

Nearly a century later, Einstein’s legacy remains strong as ever. His theories of gravity, space, and time continue to influence a new generation of scientists. As Einstein continued his work, he maintained a natural sense of understanding of the world and compassion and kindness about people around him.

It’s only fitting that he was very aware of the incredibly short time we have on this planet, while at the same time understanding that all the work he accomplished was directly related to those who came before him. It’s comforting to know that he realized his work would be instrumental for all those who had yet to arrive.

“How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people…a hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving,”   Einstein said .

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Famous Quotes Related to Critical Thinking

"Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts." - William Bruce Cameron (often falsely attributed to Albert Einstein)

"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence." - Samuel Johnson

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." - Derek Bok

"It is today we must create the world of the future." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein

"The objective of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." - Robert Maynard Hutchins

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." - Anatole France

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it." - William Haley, British Editor

"Do not confine your children to your own learning for they were born in another time." - Hebrew Proverb

"Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve." - Roger Lewin

"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend." - Henri Bergson, French Philosopher and Educator "If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right." - MARY KAY ASH, American businesswoman

"The man who can make hard things easy is the educator." - RALPH WALDO EMERSON, American writer and philosopher

"Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them." - LADY BIRD JOHNSON, Former First Lady of the United States

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend." - HENRI BERGSON, French Philosopher and Educator

"The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life." - PLATO, Greek Philosopher

"With a smile we should instruct our youth..." - JEAN BAPTISTE MOLIERE, French Playwright

"Children are not vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit." - SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA, Indian Spiritual Leader

"Genius without an education is like silver in the mine." - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, American Diplomat, Scientist, and Writer

"Education must not simply teach work—it must teach life." - W.E.B. DU BOIS, American Civil Rights Leader and Writer

"Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts." - NIKKI GIOVANNI, American poet

"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism." - COLLEEN WILCOX, American school administrator

"Those of us who are in this world to educate—to care for—young children have a special calling: a calling that has very little to do with the collection of expensive possessions but has a lot to do with worth inside of heads and hearts." - FRED M. ROGERS, Host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

"Each student is a unique person and a powerful learner capable of great achievements. I truly marvel at my students' capacity for learning, accomplishment, and growth." - MICHELLE FORMAN, American National Teacher of the Year 2001

"The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions." - MAX BEERHOHM, British Critic, Essayist, and Caricaturist "Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JOHN F. KENNEDY

"Out of the questions of students come most of the creative ideas and discoveries." - Ellen Langer

"Invest a few moments in thinking. It will pay good interest." - Author Unknown

"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever." - CHINESE PROVERB

"No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew." - ALBERT EINSTEIN

"The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

"Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used." - Carl Sagan

"There is nothing more uncommon than common sense." - FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

"Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve." - ROGER LEWIN, Ph.D., British anthropologist and science writer

"Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all." - Norman Cousins

"No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof." - Henry David Thoreau

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." - John Cotton Dana

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too" - Voltaire

"Reason obeys itself: ignorance submits to what is dictated to it." - Thomas Paine

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one learned in school." - Albert Einstein

Famous Quotes

Teaching with Einstein: Inspiring Quotes from the Genius Mind

How albert einstein’s quotes on teaching can change your perspective, teaching with einstein: step by step guide to implement his words of wisdom, the albert einstein teaching faq: answering all your burning questions, top 5 must-know facts about albert einstein’s quotes on teaching, einstein’s legacy: how his teachings are still relevant today, from the mouth of a genius: the best albert einstein quotes for teachers.

Albert Einstein is one of the most renowned scientists in history, remembered not only for his groundbreaking discoveries but also for his inspiring quotes that have touched the hearts and minds of people all over the world. What many don’t know is that Einstein was also an accomplished teacher who made significant contributions to education.

Einstein believed that teaching was one of the noblest professions and that it could change the world. He understood that true teaching was about igniting curiosity and passion in students and giving them the tools they need to explore the mysteries of life. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of Einstein’s powerful statements on education and how they can transform our perspectives on teaching.

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”

Einstein believed that education should be an instrument for liberation, not just a means of acquiring knowledge. He viewed traditional schooling as a system designed to impose conformity and stifle creativity, leading to students losing their natural curiosity for learning. Einstein argued that education must be adapted to individual needs and interests to unlock student potential fully.

“Education is not the learning of facts; it’s training of the mind to think.”

For Einstein, real education involved more than just memorization or regurgitating information from textbooks. It was about developing critical thinking skills and fostering intellectual curiosity in students, encouraging them always to ask questions rather than simply accepting what they are told.

“It is the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”

In this quote,T he language used by Albert Einstein itself depicts teachers’ vital role in creating enthusiasm among learners about pursuing their passions through creative expression.It implies educators’ efforts towards developing student’s mindset beyond boundaries limits .

All these are not mere words spoken; these are philosophy-based observations which every teacher should nourish while performing their duties educating young minds worldwide. Indeed, Albert Einstein’s timeless quotes remain relevant even today – challenging both students and teachers to approach learning differently and igniting a love for knowledge that lasts a lifetime.

Teaching is an art that requires a lot of patience, creativity, and inspiration. It is the task of educators to impart knowledge and wisdom in such a way that their students are genuinely interested and engaged. However, teaching isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially when it comes to complex concepts or difficult subjects.

That’s where the great physicist Albert Einstein can provide invaluable guidance. While Einstein is best known for his groundbreaking work in theoretical physics, his words of wisdom on education are equally profound. From his belief in problem-based learning to the importance of curiosity and exploration, his ideas on teaching are still relevant today.

So if you’re an educator looking for inspiration, here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing Einstein’s words of wisdom into your daily practice:

Step 1: Nurture curiosity

Einstein believed that curiosity was one of the most important traits for any learner to possess. He famously said, “I have no special talent; I am only passionately curious.” As an educator, it’s vital to create an environment where your students feel comfortable asking questions and exploring new ideas.

To do this effectively:

– Always encourage questions from your students. – Create opportunities for exploration and experimentation. – Foster a love of learning by making lessons engaging and interactive.

Step 2: Start with problems

According to Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” Rather than just presenting information to your students, provide them with real-world problems that they can solve using critical thinking skills.

Here are some tips for using problem-based learning techniques in your classroom:

– Identify issues relevant to your subject matter. – Ask open-ended questions that allow students room for creativity. – Encourage collaboration among learners working together towards solving challenging problems.

By doing so you help prepare students by instilling valuable life-long critical thinking skills which they will use both inside and outside educational settings throughout their lifetime.

Step 3: Be adaptable

In science, theories must be updated and revised as new discoveries are made. Similarly, educators need to remain adaptable in their approach to teaching as they learn about what works best for their students.

Here’s how to be more adaptable:

– Adjust your lessons based on student feedback. – Integrate new technologies and methods into the classroom. – Cultivate a growth mindset that values learning from mistakes.

Step 4: Foster creativity

Einstein was often credited with his rich imagination, and he firmly believed that it should be encouraged in young people. According to Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Here are some tips for fostering creativity:

– Use hands-on activities and projects that allow for artistic expression. – Provide opportunities for exploration and free thinking. – Give students room to express themselves in writing assignments or class discussions.

As an educator, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to teaching. Using these teaching techniques inspired by Einstien will help you adapt your style which can result in better engagement from your students.

Albert Einstein believed that education was not just something done within the classroom but something we should endeavour towards lifelong.

Overall, integrating Albert Einstein’s teachings into your own practice can lead to a more creative, curious learner who is better equipped with essential critical reasoning skills while also supporting essential flexible adaptability throughout life.

Albert Einstein is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic and influential figures of modern history. Known for his groundbreaking scientific discoveries and contributions to physics, he was also a dedicated teacher who imparted his knowledge to generations of students.

But what exactly made him such an exceptional educator? And what can we learn from his teaching philosophy? In this blog post, we’ll answer all your burning questions about Albert Einstein’s approach to teaching.

Q: What was Albert Einstein’s background in education?

A: Despite his later status as a scientific genius, Einstein did not have an easy time with formal education. He struggled in school as a child due to the rigid structure and rote memorization that were common at the time. As a result, he dropped out of high school and failed to gain admission to university on his first attempt.

However, he eventually found success at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, where he studied physics and mathematics. After graduation, he worked as a patent clerk while pursuing research on theoretical physics in his spare time.

Q: How did Albert Einstein approach teaching?

A: Einstein believed that teaching should focus on helping students cultivate their curiosity and creativity rather than just acquiring information. He felt that traditional teaching methods often emphasized conformity over independent thinking; thus stifling student’s natural curiosity in learning new things.

Einstein encouraged teachers to provide students with plenty of opportunities for hands-on exploration so they could develop their own understanding about how theories work in practice rather than only through abstract concepts or mathematical formulae. He believed this practical approach allows students not only to comprehend theoretical concepts but also useful real-world applications effectively.

Q: What were some techniques used by Albert Einstein when teaching?

A: One notable technique Einstein employed was using visual analogies or illustrations when explaining complex concepts like relativity or quantum mechanics. By breaking down abstract ideas into concrete examples like clocks slowing down during acceleration or particles behaving like waves instead of discrete objects, he made the topics more accessible to his students.

He also used repetition and humor to help reinforce important concepts. Rather than relying on traditional lectures alone, Einstein engaged students in lively discussions that allowed them to ask questions and participate actively.

Q: What was Albert Einstein’s advice for aspiring teachers?

A: Einstein believed that being a good teacher is a balance between knowledge and empathy that requires time, patience, and understanding. He advised aspiring educators to put themselves in their student’s shoes and try to empathize with the challenges they’re facing when learning new concepts. He urged teachers not just to rely solely on textbooks but give equal importance to practical application of those theories at real life situations.

In conclusion, Albert Einstein was not only a brilliant scientist but also an innovative educator who challenged conventional teaching methods by emphasizing curiosity, creativity, practicality over memorization where possible. His legacy has inspired countless generations of scientists, philosophers and thinkers alike as he redefined how one discipline could influence another by removing complex boundaries that existed earlier between subjects. Ultimately, his teachings continue to inspire us today towards discovering new frontiers using the power of imagination complemented with scientific rationality at every walk of life.

Albert Einstein is one of the greatest thinkers and minds that world has ever known. He was a genius physicist who revolutionized our understanding of the universe, but he was also an advocate for peace, education and knowledge. His quotes on teaching are not only insightful and inspiring, but they also offer valuable lessons to anyone who aspires to be an educator. Here are the top 5 must-know facts about Albert Einstein’s quotes on teaching:

1) “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

This quote highlights the need for personalized education and the dangers of standardized testing. Each student has their own unique strengths and weaknesses; therefore, we must not label students based on performance in certain areas or judge them against arbitrary standards. It is crucial that educators recognize each student’s potential and work with them individually to nurture their talents.

2) “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

This quote emphasizes the importance of clear communication in teaching. An effective teacher should have a deep understanding of their subject matter and be able to convey complex information in a way that is easy for students to comprehend. Simplicity is key when trying to teach challenging concepts.

3) “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Einstein was famous for his thought experiments and believed in the power of imagination while exploring new territory in science. This quote suggests that teaching should not just be about imparting knowledge but should also strive to stimulate creativity and imagination in students.

4) “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

This quote highlights how education goes beyond mere memorization or regurgitation of facts – it involves critical thinking skills development too. A good teacher should encourage their students to question assumptions, think critically and develop problem-solving skills that go beyond any specific subject.

5) “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”

This quote demonstrates that education can also be a limiting factor. It highlights the importance of independent thought, and how one’s creativity and imagination can be hindered by an over-reliance on traditional methods of teaching or preconceived notions about a particular topic.

In conclusion, Albert Einstein was not only a brilliant scientist but also an advocate for education and critical thinking. His quotes on teaching highlight the importance of personalized learning, clear communication, imagination, critical thinking skills development and going beyond mere memorization of facts. These insights remain relevant today as educators seek to inspire future generations to achieve greatness in their own unique way.

Albert Einstein is one of the most recognizable and admired figures in modern history. He was not only a brilliant physicist and mathematician, but he also revolutionized the way we think about the universe and our place in it. His legacy has impacted many different fields of knowledge, from physics to philosophy to ethics. Even today, more than 60 years after his death, Einstein’s teachings are still highly relevant to our lives.

One of Einstein’s most famous contributions to physics is his theory of relativity. This theory fundamentally changed our understanding of space, time, and gravity. Relativity showed us that these concepts were not absolute – they change depending on your perspective or frame of reference. For example, time appears to pass slower when you are moving faster relative to another observer who is at rest. This discovery might seem purely academic, but it has practical applications in everything from GPS navigation (which relies on precise knowledge of both time and space) to the design of spacecraft that must travel long distances across the vast expanse of space.

Another concept for which Einstein is famous is E=mc^2 – arguably the most famous equation ever written. This equation describes the relationship between mass and energy – showing that they are interchangeable and can be converted into one another under certain conditions. The implications of this discovery have been far-reaching: nuclear power plants rely on nuclear fusion reactions that convert a tiny amount of matter into huge amounts of energy; atomic bombs harness this same power for devastating effect; medical imaging technologies like PET scans measure changes in tiny amounts of mass as an indication of changes in brain activity or disease progression.

However, beyond these specific scientific discoveries lies something more fundamental about Einstein’s legacy: his spirit of curiosity, creativity, and imagination. He showed us that it’s possible for anyone – even someone who failed out of high school math! – to make meaningful contributions towards advancing our understanding of nature’s secrets by applying creative problem-solving techniques, critical thinking skills, and a deep passion for learning. This ‘Einsteinian mindset’ has inspired generations of scientists, artists, thinkers, and innovators to push the boundaries of what we know and discover new ways to solve the challenges that confront us.

Perhaps Einstein’s most profound legacy is his ability to inspire awe and wonder in the minds of everyday people all around the world. As one biographer noted, Einstein “was a mythical figure … The stuff of legend.” His humble demeanor and intense curiosity combined with his genius intellect captured imaginations around the globe. Even today, Einstein’s image remains instantly recognizable: a shock of wild hair, twinkling eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses – an icon for scientific discovery and intellectual curiosity.

In conclusion, despite being gone for more than six decades now, Albert Einstein continues to influence our lives in numerous ways. We rely on his groundbreaking theories of relativity every day when we use GPS navigation or medical imaging technologies; his creative problem-solving spirit inspires scientists and innovators alike to push the limits of what we understand about nature; and his brilliant mind sparks wonder in people from all walks of life who are captivated by his endless curiosity about the universe. In short: while our understanding has grown since he made some remarkable insights into physics over 100 years ago many aspects today emerged from ancient philosophy or even metaphysical discussions making him somewhat irrelevant today but as far as science is concerned – this man was truly ahead of his time.”

Albert Einstein was not just a brilliant physicist; he was also known for his profound wisdom and insight into various aspects of life. As teachers, we can draw from his teachings to enhance our instructional methods and philosophies. Here are some of the best Albert Einstein quotes that can inspire us as educators.

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” This quote highlights the importance of teaching critical thinking skills rather than rote memorization. Teachers should encourage students to question everything and help them develop a strong sense of curiosity.

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teachers who are passionate about their subjects can ignite similar enthusiasm in their students. By fostering creativity and encouraging self-expression, teachers can create a vibrant learning environment that motivates learners to achieve success .

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” A teacher’s role goes beyond imparting information – they must inspire students with limitless possibilities for growth and development. By fueling imaginations with endless possibilities, Einstein believed that education could truly transform individuals and society.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Rather than stifling student inquiry, teachers should embrace it by asking thought-provoking questions themselves. Encouraging questioning leads students on their own path towards discovery – a lifelong skill that extends beyond academia.

“Try not to become a person of success but rather try to become a person of value.” While academic achievement may be prioritized throughout school years, true success comes from being valuable members of society able to think critically about how their actions impact others. Teaching students empathy alongside knowledge helps cultivate good moral characters people outside school will appreciate.

As an educator wanting dedication herself upon creating successful student after successful student- I believe these wise words provide crucial insights for teachers who want to make a real difference in educating the future generation. By focusing on developing imaginative critical thinkers, inspiring curiosity and nurturing creativity while also instilling morality and deep empathy towards others, we can help our students achieve success beyond the walls of the classroom.

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Albert Einstein’s quotes on intelligence and Deep Thinking

• Intelligence , IQ
• August 4, 2023

Hey there, curious minds! Today, we will inspire you with a genius mind’s quotes on intelligence. We all know about Albert Einstein, the legendary physicist who changed how we understand the universe. However, Einstein was not just a genius in science but also a great thinker with a deep understanding of the human mind.

Let’s explore some fascinating quotes from Albert Einstein about intelligence. Even now, his words continue to serve as a powerful reminder of the incredible capacity and potential of the human mind.

Albert Einstein: A Brief Biograph y

Born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany, Albert Einstein is globally known for his extraordinary contributions to theoretical physics. His Theory of Relativity revolutionized scientific thought and won him the Nobel Physics Prize in 1921.

But did you know that beyond the laboratory and complex equations, Einstein had a remarkable gift for expressing wisdom and insights about life, humanity, and intelligence?

The Lasting Impact of Einstein’s Quotes

Albert Einstein believed that intelligence is more than just academic or technical abilities. He emphasized the importance of curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning. His inspiring quotes on intelligence are timeless and provide valuable insights into his unique perspective on the fundamental essence of intelligence.

Key Events that Shaped Einstein’s Views on Intelligence

But what happened that made Einstein such an intelligent person? Despite facing challenges in the education system, his unwavering curiosity propelled him to achieve remarkable scientific breakthroughs.

Einstein’s experiences reinforced his belief that intelligence extends beyond memorization or adhering to conventional definitions of “smartness.” He focused more on “imagination” and “ critical thinking ”. Through his powerful quotes, you can see how he saw the world.

 Einstein’s Quotes on Intelligence

·        “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

·        “Information is not knowledge.”

·        “Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.”

·        “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

• “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
• “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
• “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”
• “Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.”
• “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”
• “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
• “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
• “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its reason for existing.”
• “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
• “It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”
• “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
• “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
• “I never made one of my discoveries through rational thinking.”
• “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
• “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
• “The only source of knowledge is experience.”
• “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
• “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
• “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.”
• “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”
• “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”
• “Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.”
• “The world as we have created it is our thinking process. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
• “Knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be.”
• “One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.”
• “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.”
• “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
• “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”
• “I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas.”
• “Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.”

  Einstein’s Deep Thinking Quotes

·        “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.”

·        “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. The fundamental emotion stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”

·        “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.”

·        “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”

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

·        “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

·        “The process of scientific discovery is, in effect, a continual flight from wonder.”

·        “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.”

·        “All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual .”

·        “A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.”

·        “The only real valuable thing is intuition.”

·        “The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he can receive.”

·        “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

·        “The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.”

·        “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I conclude that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

·        “The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its reason for existing.”

·        “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

·        “There comes a point when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there.”

·        “The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.”

·        “You can never solve a problem on the level it was created.”

·        “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

·        “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

·        “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”

·        “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

·        “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”

·        “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

·        “We still do not know one-thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.”

·        “When the solution is simple, God is answering.”

·        “No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.”

·        “Imagination encircles the world.”

Einstein’s Famous Quotes About Life

·        “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

·        “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

·        “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

·        “The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self.”

·        “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”

·        “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

·        “I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, both for the body and the mind.”

·        “It’s not that life is too short; it’s just that you’re dead for so long.”

·        “Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life.”

·        “A man should look for what is, not what he thinks should be.”

The Influence of Einstein’s Thoughts on Various Fields

Einstein’s sayings have influenced various fields, not just physics and philosophy. His thoughts on intelligence, deep thinking, and life guide us toward a better understanding of the world.  

The Connection Between Einstein’s Quotes and His Genius

What made Albert Einstein a genius? Was it just his scientific theories, or was there more to it?

Well, only looking at his quotes shows us that he’s no ordinary man! He thinks about life in an unconventional way! He’s not a social scientist or a psychologist, though he knows his ways with life! Is he a genius, then? As his words show us, definitely!

  Frequently Asked Questions

1. what is albert einstein renowned for.

Albert Einstein is widely recognized for his work on the theory of relativity, which has greatly impacted modern physics. His renowned equation, E = mc^2, highlights the equivalence of mass and energy, serving as a fundamental principle in the field.

2. What are Einstein’s thoughts on intelligence?

 He had a rich understanding of intelligence , emphasizing imagination over mere knowledge, stating, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Furthermore, he believed adaptability was a key indicator of intelligence, saying, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”

3. What did Einstein think of education and the process of learning? 

Einstein believed curiosity, imagination, and independent thinking were more important than memorizing facts. He valued education as a way to train the mind to think. He also noted that stopping the learning process is similar to beginning the dying process.

4. Could you explain Einstein’s philosophy of life?

He believed in living a life that helps others and famously stated that living for others is the only life worth living. He also emphasized the importance of perseverance and resilience, stating that life is like riding a bicycle, and you must keep moving to maintain balance.

5. What were Einstein’s thoughts about problem-solving?

According to Einstein, problem-solving needs a different approach. He famously stated that using the same thinking that caused the problem won’t solve it. This highlights the significance of creative thinking to go through difficulties.

6. Are the quotes from Einstein still applicable in today’s world?

His quotes inspire and guide intelligence, creativity, learning, and life. His wisdom is timeless and resonates across societies.

Einstein’s quotes are more than just inspirational sayings; they’re powerful insights into the nature of intelligence, life, and the human spirit. From encouraging us to value our curiosity and question conventions, these quotes have the power to transform us. They inspire us to embrace all types of intelligence and view the world with fascination.

His wisdom never gets old. We can still learn from his insights on intelligence and apply them to our lives today. So, if you’re seeking knowledge, his quotes can serve as a guiding light for you!

My friend, always remember that each day brings the opportunity to gain new knowledge and approach things from a fresh perspective. Let’s continue exploring, just as Einstein would have encouraged us to do, and fill our lives with never-ending joy and amazement!

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The third critical step in problem solving that einstein missed.

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Einstein is quoted as having said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” The point he makes is important: preparation has great value to problem solving. And what is any task worth doing but a problem to be solved. We would do well to heed Einstein’s advice as we move through our days, and ensure that we’re spending enough time getting ready to solve the next problem at hand, whether addressing a colleague’s costly error, drafting a project scope, or cooking dinner.

Checking the box is so satisfying that we often forget to harvest the work we've done.

What Einstein missed, though, is the final critical stage of any problem-solving process. Once one has solved a problem, there is huge opportunity to harvest that solution. The solution may apply to other challenges or tasks in one’s own life, or that of colleagues. There may be a generalizable learning that emerges, an opportunity to recognize a person involved in the solution, or a story to tell publicly for broader benefit.

Well-run meetings usually take this approach, seeing before, during, and after as three equally important phases of the meeting to be intentionally designed and delivered. Of course, many meetings are not well-run, and fall short of their potential effectiveness by neglecting or under-estimating the before or after. And when it comes to our individual efforts to solve problems and get things done, very few professionals take this approach.

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Any competitive athlete knows these three phases well. Training is critical preparation for any contest, made up of a host of complementary activities to whatever the competition consists of. Then comes the event, whether formally competitive or not. Next, critically, recovery must follow. Stretching, off-days, reloading with nutrients, and sleep, are among many professionals’ ‘secrets’ to success, as much as their record-breaking sprints or deadlifts.

Our minds – and bodies – need these same steps to perform effectively as thinking beings.

The Three Stages of Problem Solving

Next time you go to solve a problem, whether large or small, personal or professional, allot time to all three stages and see what happens.

1. Set the Stage

First, prepare yourself, physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Before you even get to Einstein’s 55 minutes to understand the problem, are you in the best position possible to address it? Particularly for high-stakes problems that you really care about solving effectively, it’s worth spending some time readying yourself, through adequate rest, healthy nutrition, mindfulness practices, and a comfortable setting in which to do the work.

Next come Einstein’s 55 minutes. Do you understand what you are tasked with doing? And do you know what’s required to do it, or who you can ask to find out? In the example of cooking, do you have a recipe listing the ingredients and tools you need, and are those gathered and/or prepared? If you’re writing a report, do you have the data and insights from relevant stakeholders to get it done? To design a product, you need an understanding of your target user.

Finally, do you know why you’re trying to solve this problem? Does it inherently matter to you or someone you care about? Or does it play a part in a larger problem that matters to you and/or your organization?

This preparation phase can lead to a “5 Ws” description of any task, to help yourself or a colleague understand what is to be done. Specifying what, who, when, how, and why a problem is to be solved can significantly improve the focus and effectiveness with which it is done.

2. Do the Thing

Doing is what we have least trouble imagining. Without proper preparation, though, it can be the hardest stage to actually begin. It’s easy to let problems become monsters in our minds, casting a shadow far longer than their actual size. Of course, the preparation practices of mindfulness, physical needs, and focus on why we’re doing a certain thing can and should be maintained in the ‘doing’ phase too.

Finally, when we’ve solved the problem or done the task, we come to the harvesting stage, which can be hugely productive if given its proper due. But all too often, we’re so thrilled to check something off our list, Asana board, or other project management tool that we race on to the next problem to be solved. That’s like not cashing dividend checks from your investments, or claiming the 10 th free coffee at your local café.

Once you’ve done the work, why wouldn’t you take a minute to see what else the work could accomplish for you? Very few problems in the world are actual one-offs, with no implications for other challenges you or people around you are solving. These connections are not of course always obvious, though, so we must spend some time and attention looking for them, or sharing our solutions with other people who might see the connection to a problem they’re working to solve.

Grab a moment to enjoy the fruits of your labor before moving on to the next task!

Why We Don’t Do This

One of the best points in Brene Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection , isn’t about imperfection at all, but rather about the process of behavior change. She points out that for most things worth doing, we know ‘How To,’ or can google it in microseconds. What separates people who do it from those who don’t manage is addressing what’s in the way. Why don’t we do the things we know are required to solve whatever problem we’re facing? Is it habit, fear, social pressure, or otherwise? So let’s consider why we aren’t in the habit of making time to harvest the fruits of our labors solving one problem before moving on to the next.

Most teams are still operating in an industrial revolution conception of work, focused on maximizing output. Many of us have adopted this task-oriented approach to evaluate our individual performance, and tend to prioritize doing more things over reflecting on the lessons learned from the doing and how they might apply to other things we care about doing. Finally, truly collaborative, trusting teams in which we can openly share our struggles, learnings, and successes without fear of judgment, are still rare.

Do any of these blocks apply to you? If so, what can you do about it? Just recognizing barriers is helpful even if you can’t do anything immediately to remove them.

Once you’ve recognized why you don’t complete the third stage of problem solving, go ahead and schedule a 30-minute Harvesting slot after your next task. Jot down some learnings, call a colleague and share your process to see if they pull any insights, or Tweet something you learned with a strategic hashtag or two to enter your wisdom into the Twitverse. The fruits of your labor may not appear on the spot, or with every project you harvest, but certainly they will be more likely to grow than if you don’t bother harvesting at all.

Email us for a free worksheet to get better at answering the critical ‘why’ question of the doing stage. And read more about how to connect your mundane daily habits to larger purpose here .

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Einstein's Advice on How to Maximize Your Child's Intelligence Is Totally Unexpected

The genius gave unexpected but easy-to-implement advice to a mother looking to support her child's intellectual development..

Albert Einstein may have been one of the greatest geniuses in history , but that didn't mean he thrived at school .

Einstein didn't get bad grades -- that's a myth -- but he did intensely dislike the routine and rigor of his traditional German education. He skipped classes, argued with his teachers, and eventually dropped out of school in frustration at 15 to educate himself.

"It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry," Einstein once wrote .

Einstein clearly didn't think discipline, obedience, and long hours of cramming were the key to developing a mind to its fullest potential . So what did he recommend? The surprising answer is fairy tales.

Einstein to parents: Read more fairy tales to your kids.

Einstein's advice to parents looking to develop their kids' intellectual potential comes to us via a 1958 article in Montana Libraries in which the author, one Rita McDonald, recounts a story she heard about the great physicist. The Library of Congress dug up the old publication for its blog. It reads:

In Denver I heard a story about a woman who was friendly with the late Dr. Einstein, surely acknowledged as an outstanding "pure" scientist. She wanted her child to become a scientist, too, and asked Dr. Einstein for his suggestions for the kind of reading the child might do in his school years to prepare him for this career. To her surprise Dr. Einstein recommended "fairy tales and more fairy tales." The mother protested this frivolity and asked for a serious answer, but Dr. Einstein persisted, adding that creative imagination is the essential element in the intellectual equipment of the true scientist, and that fairy tales are the childhood stimulus of this quality!

As the Library of Congress points out, it is impossible to be sure that this exchange really happened just as McDonald describes. The story "has a feature that folklorists have identified as a common characteristic of folk legends: the person to whom the story happened is at two removes from the current narrator," the librarians note.

But one thing is for sure: The advice lines up with many of Einstein's other comments on encouraging free thinking, intelligence, and happiness in kids. It's also backed by plenty of modern science.

Einstein wasn't a fan of memorization and discipline.

In many of his personal communications about education, Einstein stressed the importance of self-directed exploration, joy, and humanity rather than brute force memorization and deference to authority.

"In comparing it with six years schooling at an authoritarian German Gymnasium, I was made acutely aware how far superior an education that stresses independent action and personal responsibility is to one that relies on drill, external authority and ambition," Einstein wrote one child in a letter highlighted by The Marginalian .

In another letter to his own young son who was studying piano, Einstein advised him , "mainly play the things on the piano which please you, even if the teacher does not assign those. That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don't notice that the time passes."

Clearly, the genius thought the way to maximize your intellectual potential ran through self-directed learning and honoring your own interests and independent thought.

This is your child's brain on fairy tales.

Fairy tales, modern experts say, are the perfect way to help children think through the world, its challenges, and their hopes and fears in the creative and independent way recommended by Einstein.

Traditional stories of passive princesses and rescuing knights do have downsides. They can promote sexist stereotypes and often fail to represent the full spectrum of kids and their experiences. But there are plenty of more inclusive options, and, according to a PsychCentral rundown of recent research on their benefits , fairy tales help kids develop their creativity, think through conflicts, and cope with difficult situations.

Fairy tales have other benefits too. Humans are storytelling creatures, and neuroscience has shown that when we read a story our brains actually mimic the situations of the characters we're following -- a stressful moment in the story will cause the release of stress hormones in the brain, for instance. Which may be why other studies show quality literature and even TV shows help boost empathy and EQ . It's not a stretch to think fairy tales function similarly for kids.

Research has even linked more early reading with better later performance in math and tech . The more books a family has in the home, the better their kids do on average in academic subjects, even controlling for the parents' wealth and education.

Finally, children generally enjoy tales of magic and wonder, and a boatload of science shows that happiness makes us learn faster and remember more .

Put that together, and what do you get? A compelling case that fairy tales help young people develop empathy, critical thinking, and creativity. Which means Einstein was probably right when he said if you want to maximize your kid's intellectual potential, you should probably read them more fairy tales.

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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Book Reviews

This is genius: a new graphic novel imagines conversations between einstein and kafka.

Tahneer Oksman

Turns out Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka lived in Prague at the same time and had the same circle of friends. In the new graphic novel, Einstein in Kafkaland, Ken Krimstein puts us in the room with two 20th century geniuses. Ken Krimstein / Bloomsbury Publishing hide caption

It’s April 1, 1911, and 32-year-old Albert Einstein — former bureaucrat at the Swiss Patent Office, with a half-decade old doctorate in physics from the University of Zurich — sits in a train car with his two sons and his wife, fellow physicist and mathematician Mileva Marić. They are travelling from Zurich to Prague, where Einstein has landed a job as a full professor in theoretical physics, teaching in the German section of what is now Charles University. He has a few things on his mind, including money troubles, but most critical is his unfinished theory of relativity. When they leave the city 15 months later, Einstein will have cracked the code.

What happens over the course of this long, mysterious year in Prague is the question driving Ken Krimstein’s new graphic novel Einstein in Kafkaland . Part biography, part historical fiction, Krimstein playfully explores the possibilities, building, with footnotes, on a thorough archive of letters, diaries, and other research. The result, a thought-provoking work made up of comics suffused in a gentle mix of aquamarine watercolors, is equal parts joyful and ruminative. (Think: Alice in Wonderland meets The Lives of the Poets meets Krazy Kat. ) The full subtitle to the book — How Albert Fell Down the Rabbit Hole and Came Up with the Universe — signals the lavish whimsy that goes a long way towards making this such a delightful, inspiring read.

Throughout, cartoon-Einstein sports his characteristic pipe alongside a signature frizzy head of hair. But it’s his obsessive ruminations that perhaps most effectively signal what has become Einstein-the-character, a culmination of all the gossip, public appearances, private words, and first-hand accounts of one of the best-known scientists to have ever lived. Krimstein pairs Einstein’s story with that of Franz Kafka, who was 28, virtually unpublished, and living with his parents in a house in Prague when Einstein arrived for his short but impactful stay. What binds the two together, in addition to an alleged one-time meeting at a weekly salon, is a complementary preoccupation with getting at the truth — “the true truth” — against all odds, and against many other people’s better judgements. For both, a journey to find this truth, whether in science or literature, is one that will sometimes alienate as painfully as it may ultimately bind them to others.

During Einstein’s time in Prague, a time in which he works out his theory of relativity, Kafka will have his own breakthrough. In one long feverish night he will pen the short story, most often known in English as “The Judgment,” which will launch an unparalleled writing career forever transforming art and literature. Like Einstein’s completed theory of relativity, Kafka, too, will offer the world a new way of thinking. It’s a way of thinking that, our narrator assures us, “we’re all still struggling to catch up to.”

Einstein in Kafkaland: How Albert Fell Down the Rabbit Hole and Came Up With the Universe by Ken Krimstein Ken Krimstein/Bloomsbury Publishing hide caption

Despite his title, Krimstein centers his book unevenly, focusing mainly on Einstein, and taking us step by step through the meditations that lead to his discovery. Nonetheless, along the way he also provides readers with glimpses into the life of the perpetually melancholic insomniac insurance clerk, Kafka. We witness, for example, an early morning swimming routine with his best bud — and future literary executor — Max Brod. But what Kafka’s presence in the narrative most crucially enables are imagined conversations between him and Einstein. In these, the two puzzle, and sometimes commiserate, over what it means to see the world differently from everyone else. What happens when you believe so confidently in your own hard-won perceptions that you risk killing the heroes that brought you there?

Author Interviews

A new graphic novel depicts the time einstein and kafka met in prague.

Krimstein, a well-published cartoonist whose previous work includes another delightful graphic biography, The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt , luxuriates in intellectual history shoulder to shoulder with juicy biographical details. He depicts Einstein debating with his foe, Max Abraham; taking fantastical trips into a four-dimensional world with Euclid; and walking and talking with Austrian physicist, and dear friend, Paul Ehrenfest. And he exposes, too, scenes of the future Nobel Prize winner in the bath, trying to kill off bedbugs; or engaging with his young children, and wife, in Gedankenexperiments (thought experiments), to help him think through the problems that continually occupy him.

At its heart, Einstein in Kafkaland is the story of ordinary genius. It unwraps the ways in which genius so often arises out of ordinary circumstances. Perhaps even more compellingly, the book tracks how unimaginable discoveries develop following exchanges with others — friends and family, colleagues and nemeses, neighbors and role models. Aberrations aside, works of genius most wholly emerge in dialogue.

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Tahneer Oksman is a writer, teacher, and scholar specializing in memoir as well as graphic novels and comics. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Albert Einstein Quotes

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Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent People Ignore.

We are slowed down sound and light waves, a walking bundle of frequencies tuned into the cosmos. We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

We can't solve today's problems with the mentality that created them.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance

Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need experience to gain wisdom.

Failure is success in progress

Don't listen to the person who has the answers; listen to the person who has the questions.

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The more I study science, the more I believe in God.

Everything that exists in your life, does so because of two things: something you did or something you didn't do.

A woman is always Right. But sometimes confused or may be misinformed or rude or stubborn or senseless or unchangeable about her opinions or even down right stupid at times but NEVER wrong... She is always Right.

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

Just because you believe in something does not mean that it is true.

Thinking is hard work; that's why so few do it.

The stupid are invincible.

artificial intellegance is no match for natural stupidity

Earth is the insane asylum of the universe.

Knowledge is realizing that the street is one way; wisdom is looking in both directions anyway.

Our lives will be measured by what we do for others

God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.

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Albert Einstein

• Born: March 14, 1879
• Died: April 18, 1955
• Occupation: Theoretical Physicist
• Cite this Page: Citation

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