Quotes and misquotes from the world’s favorite genius.
In 2015, fans across the globe will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, a breakthrough in human understanding of the physical laws which govern our universe. Millions of people are inspired by the world’s favorite genius, and it is common to see his many quotes pop up across various social media feeds, but in the age of the internet, can these quotes be trusted as accurate?
During his life, Einstein spoke on a broad range of topics, from his more lighthearted quips on creativity and imagination, to the heavier subjects of politics and religion. When asked in a 1929 Saturday Evening Post interview, “Do you trust more to your imagination than to your knowledge?” Einstein replied with “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Sometimes he was philosophical, such as in 1950 when he said “The value of achievement lies in the achieving.” Other times he was overly modest, like in 1920 when he said to a fellow physicist, “I do know that kind fate allowed me to find a couple of nice ideas after many years of feverish labor.” While all of the previously written quotes are accurate, some simple internet surfing can lead even the savviest searcher to plenty of unverified words from the wacky-haired scientist.
“Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned in school,” may be a favorite of schoolchildren looking to skip class, but this was not originally said by Einstein (although he quoted it in his book Out of My Later Years, 1950). One of the most common misattributions, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” was actually written by author Rita Mae Brown in her book Sudden Death, 1983. Other inaccurate quotes range from the simple, “We use only 10 percent of our brains” to the curiously specific, “The most difficult thing to understand is the income tax,” a favorite of accounting firms seeking new business.
As the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity nears, and more and more Einstein content fills the internet, it may become even harder to discern falsehood from reality. To find only accurate quotes and information about Einstein, and to join in on the 2015 anniversary celebrations, follow the official Einstein pages on Twitter (www.twitter.com/alberteinstein) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/alberteinstein).
*All quotes sourced from “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” by Alice Calaprice. Princeton University Press, 2011.