Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

German-born theoretical physicist and one of the most influential intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Born in 1879 in Ulm, he developed the theory of relativity, contributed to the development of quantum mechanics, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his discovery of the photoelectric effect. Beyond his scientific work, he became a public figure of moral and spiritual reflection — on pacifism, civil rights, the nature of religious experience, and the intersection of science and spiritual wonder. His writings — especially Ideas and Opinions, The World as I See It, and Out of My Later Years — articulated a 'cosmic religion' grounded in awe at the rationality and beauty of the universe. He died in Princeton in 1955, and his quotations remain among the most-cited in English.

105

quotes in library

Quotes by Albert Einstein

105 quotes
“The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.”
serviceIdeas and Opinions
“The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious.”
mysteriousIdeas and Opinions
“It is the source of all true art and science.”
mysteryIdeas and Opinions
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
realityLetters
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”
humorAttributed
“If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.”
successAttributed
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”
educationLetters
“Two things inspire me to awe: the starry heavens and the moral universe within.”
aweLetters
“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”
truthLetters
“To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination.”
questionsIdeas and Opinions
“And marks real advance in science.”
advanceIdeas and Opinions
“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.”
interestAttributed
“He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it.”
interestAttributed
“Three rules of work: Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
workIdeas and Opinions
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
truth-beautyIdeas and Opinions
“All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree.”
unityIdeas and Opinions
“All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life.”
aspirationsIdeas and Opinions
“Lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.”
freedomIdeas and Opinions
“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.”
forceAttributed
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