Albert
Einstein (1879 - 1955) was a German Theoretical Physicist. He is famous
for his influence on the Philosophy of Science, and the general Theory of Relativity
which is one of the two pillars of Modern Physics. He won the Nobel Prize in 1921. He
was remarkably well rounded and his brilliance has left its mark in history, including the
following quotes attributed to him:
1. “Imagination is more
important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination
embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
2. “Great spirits have
always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is
incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional
prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and
honestly.”
3. “Human knowledge and
skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has
every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above
the discoverers of objective truth.”
4. “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.”
5. “I, at any rate, am
convinced that He (God) does not throw dice.”
6. “The important thing
is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
7. “Science without
religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
8. “Two things are
infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the
universe.”
9. “Falling in love is
not at all the most stupid thing that people do— but gravitation cannot be held
responsible for it.”
10. “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.”
11. “Anyone who has
never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
12. “Try not to become
a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value”
13. “The secret to
creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
14. “The difference
between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”
15. “Weakness of
attitude becomes weakness of character.”
16. “Pure mathematics
is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”
17. “Nature shows us
only the tail of the lion. But I do not doubt that the lion belongs to it even
though he cannot at once reveal himself because of his enormous size.”
18. “Only a life lived
for others is a life worthwhile.”
19. “It’s not that I’m
so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
20. “My religion
consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals
himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble
mind.”
21. “Peace cannot be kept
by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”
22. “I never think of
the future. It comes soon enough.”
23. “Do not worry about
your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you that mine are all greater”
24. “In order to form
an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep.”
25. “The most
incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.”
26. “Reality is merely
an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
27. “Truth is what
stands the test of experience.”
28. “Life is like
riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”
29. “Insanity: doing
the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
30. “Common sense is
nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you
reach eighteen.”
