Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was born in Germany and became an American citizen in 1940. A world-famous theoretical physicist, he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics and is renowned for his Theory of Relativity. In addition to his scientific work, Einstein was an influential humanist who spoke widely about politics, ethics, and social causes. After leaving Europe, Einstein taught at Princeton University. His theories were instrumental in shaping the atomic age.
Albert Einstein
A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.
A man must learn to understand the motives of human beings, their illusions, and their sufferings.
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.
Curiosity is a delicate little plant which, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do – but gravity cannot be held responsible for it.
Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavour and human creations.
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
Good acts are like good poems. One may easily get their drift, but they are not rationally understood.
Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
I am a deeply religious nonbeliever – this is a somewhat new kind of religion.
I am content in my later years. I have kept my good humour and take neither myself nor the next person seriously.
I believe that a simple and unassuming life is good for everybody, physically and mentally.
I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.
I have not eaten enough of the tree of knowledge, though in my profession I am obligated to feed on it regularly.
I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.
I maintain that the cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research.
I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.
I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.
I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.
If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.
If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I see my life in terms of music.
If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research.
If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.
Imagination is everything; it is the preview of life’s forthcoming attractions.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.