June 11, 2012

In His Own Words: Albert Einstein


Since I'm in Seattle today, this post is short. But with Einstein, short is relative, right? 





For being a scientist, this famous brainiac sure had good things to say about all parts of life. Living from 1879-1955, he received the Nobel Prize and made enormous contributions to science, especially theoretical physics. But I realized, as I began to accumulate quotations by him, that he was also insightful on subjects from politics to imagination. 

Here he is, in his own words. Take a moment to read over these quotations, then think, digest, and weigh in.
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“The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax.”


“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”


"I don’t believe in mathematics.”  


“An empty stomach is not a good political advisor.”


“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” 


(quotations found on brainyquote.com and thinkexist.com)


Which quotation is your favorite? What do you think it means? Let's discuss!

2 comments:

  1. Sometimes I wonder if all the quotations we see attributed to him are really his :D...BUT the one that struck me was "I don't believe in mathematics." Along these lines, I have wondered if Jesus might have said He 'did not believe in religion"...
    Understanding relationships in the physical world is not necessarily the same as labeling them (e.g. mathematics, physics, etc.), just as a relationship with God and religion are not necessarily the same...

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    1. Neat observation! I just liked the quotation because I don't believe in math either, as long as I can help it :) But being able to appreciate and use a thing (i.e. numbers) doesn't necessarily mean standing behind the entire discipline it comprises (i.e. the field of "mathematics" as a be-all and end-all). I think this especially applies in academia.

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