Quotes from Albert Einstein

This is what the painter, the poet, the speculative philosopher, and the natural scientists do, each in his own fashion.

Those people have seen something. What it is I do not know and I can not care to know. (on flying saucers)

To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull facilities can comprehend only in the most primitive forms--this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the ranks of the devoutly religious men.

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.

We believe that an informed citizenry will act for life and not for death. (on atomic energy)

We cannot dispair of humanity, since we are ourselves human beings.

We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.

We pride ourselves on nothing but the courage to be trivial. For a person is simple in his striving for truth, and it is honest to admit this openly.

We scientists, whose tragic destiny it has been to make the methods of annihilation ever more gruesome and more effective, must consider it our solemn and transcendent duty to do all in our power in preventing these weapons from being used for the brutal purpose for which they were invented.

We [Jews] have no other means of self-defense than our solidarity

Weakness of attitude become weakness of character.

Well-being and happiness never appeared to me as an absolute aim. I am even inclined to compare such moral aims to the ambitions of a pig.

What is inconceivable about the universe is that it is at all conceivable.

What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether To answer this question at all implies a religion. Is there any sense then, you ask, in putting it I answer, the man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.

Never memorize something that you can look up.

When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.

A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.