Albert Einstein was a completely humble, even self-effacing man. His birthday is on 14th May - These are the words of an extraordinary genius who has contributed more to our world picture than anybody before, or after him: How strange is the lot of us mortals. Each of us is here for a brief sojourn, for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people - first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to a frugal life and am often oppressively aware that I am engrossing an undue amount of labour of my fellow men. I regard class distinctions as unjustified and, in the last resort, based on force. I also believe that a simple and unassuming life is good for everyone, physically and mentally! My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with human beings and human communities. I am truly a lone sojourner and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and need for solitude - feelings which increase with the years. One become sharply aware, but without regret, of the limits of mutual understanding and consonance with other people. No doubt, such a person loses some of his innocence and unconcern; on the other hand, he is largely independent of the opinions, habits and judgments of his fellowmen and avoids the temptation to build his inner equilibrium upon such an insecure foundation.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 15:54:36 +0000
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