More Albert Einstein Quotes to Inspire Thought
January 13th 2008 06:35
Part Two of My Albert Einstein Quotation-Sharing Project
Here's the second group of Albert Einstein quotes I've collected to share with you, so you can join me in plumbing the depths of the incredible wisdom of a most prolific scientific genius and intellectual giant.
Einstein's Definitions, Explanations, Perspectives, and Clarifications
Einstein had very definite ideas about many things--ideas that were incisive, frank, opinionated, yet totally lacking in arrogance, and incredibly altruistic for a man of science. A list of these follows:
1. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.â€
2. “Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.â€
3. “Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.â€
4. “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.â€
5. “I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.â€
6. “In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.â€
7. “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.â€
8. “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.â€
9. “All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.â€
10. “The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.â€
Einstein's Views on Teaching and Education
A man of learning, to be sure, Einstein was, nevertheless, not a believer in education for its own sake and was obviously of the opinion that education should open realms of interest and wonder for the student, rather than representing a duty which should be fulfilled or a burden to be borne, as can so often be the case in educational institutions. Here are a few of his quotes on the topic:
1. "Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."
2. “Most teachers waste their time by asking questions which are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning has for its purpose to discover what the pupil knows or is capable of knowing.â€
3. “The aim (of education) must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, can see in the service to the community their highest life achievement.â€
4. "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
Einstein's More Enigmatic, Profound, or Clever Sayings
Albert Einstein was certainly a man of great depth and multiple dimensions, as can be readily seen by the following group of his deeper, wittier, and often more-ironic quotes:
1. "Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
2. “If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.â€
3. “No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.â€
4. “Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.â€
5. “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.â€
6. “When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.â€
7. "If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
8. "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
9. “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.â€
10. "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
11. “I believe that the horrifying deterioration in the ethical conduct of people today stems from the mechanization and dehumanization of our lives - the disastrous by-product of the scientific and technical mentality. Nostra culpa. Man grows cold faster than the planet he inhabits.â€
A Final Word from One Who Deciphered Many Mysteries of the Universe
As we consider the many wise words of this great man of science, we can benefit from yet one more declaration from one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived--a declaration which can encourage us in our feelings of ineptitude as we prepare for a certain inevitable season of our working lives:
“The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax.â€
If even Albert Einstein believed that, we writers can certainly breathe a sigh of relief!
Hope you've enjoyed Round Two of the quotes of Albert Einstein!
Thanks for reading!
Jeanne
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Comment by AmyHuang
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Writer's Notes
Glad you did!
Jeanne
Comment by Michele L.
I also dropped in to tell you I've tagged you for a meme. Find out more here: How To Blog The Cyber Highway.
Smiles,
Michele
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Glad you enjoyed the rest of the Einstein quotes I collected--and thanks for the tag! I've checked out your excellent contribution to the meme, and it sounds like a very intriguing one--one with room for creativity. I enjoy that type of meme! Though I'm quite busy these days, I'll get to it as soon as I can!
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne
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Writer's Notes
Glad you've enjoyed both installments!
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