Albert Einstein Quotes

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People know Albert Einstein as one of the world’s best physicists and a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics, but you may not have heard his many quotes. Here are just some of the things the famous scientist said. Unsurprisingly, many of Einstein’s quotes are about thinking for yourself and being rational.

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

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”

 “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.”

“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”

“Small is the number of people who see with their eyes and think with their minds.”

Einstein did not believe in blind obedience to anybody or anything, including one’s own country. Some of his quotes on this subject include:

“Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”

“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.”

“Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.”

He also made a number of observations on the nature of the atomic bomb and gave his opinion on both traditional warfare and nuclear war.

“I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.”

“I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.”

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

Albert Einstein’s wit and observation of human nature is obvious in some of the quotes, especially the following:

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.”

“People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results.”      

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

“The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax.”

If you are looking for more quotes from Albert Einstein, you should check out the top ten Einstein quotes and quotes by Albert Einstein.

Universe Today has articles on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and Einstein still seems to be right.

For more information, take a look at Einstein’s biography and the Einstein archives.

Astronomy Cast has an episode on Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.

Sources:
Stanford University
Quotations Book