Albert Einstein Advice On Life As Profound As His Works

Check out Albert Einstein advice on life which are insightful and inspirational.

Besides sharing with the world his amazing theory of relativity and E=mc2, Einstein also offered nuggets of life wisdom in his interviews, letters and speeches.

This German-born world genius strongly advocated persistence, dare-to-fail attitude, individualism, independent thought, be adventurous and have a sense of curiosity.

The man who daydreamed about riding or running beside a sunbeam to the edge of the universe, shed light on social and intellectual issues, which are not related to the world of physics.

Albert Einstein Advice On Life

Now, let’s go through Albert Einstein advice on life quoted from various reliable sources.

“Life doesn’t make things easy for anyone. But it is lucky when we are able to emerge from our own uncomfortable confines to some extent and focus on objective matters that are beyond the wretchedness of life.” – Albert Einstein

“Das Leben fasst uns alle hart an. Aber ein Glück ist es, wenn man gewissermassen aus der eigenen unbequemen Haut fahren und sich um die objektiven Dinge bemühen kann, zu deren reiner Höhe der Jammer des Lebens nicht hinaufdringen kann. (German)

(The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 9: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January 1919-April 1920 (English Translation Supplement), Translated By Ann Hentschel, Doc.78 , To Adriaan D. Fokker, Luzern, 30 July 1919, P. 66) source

(The quote in German is found in: The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 9: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January 1919-April 1920, Edited By Diana Kormos Buchwald, Robert Schulmann, József Illy, Daniel J. Kennefick, & Tilman Sauer, Doc. 78, To Adriaan D. Fokker, Luzern, 30. VII. 1919, P. 117) source

Note: From the letter to Adriaan D. Fokker, July 30, 1919.

“The bitter and the sweet come from the outside, the hard from within, from one’s own efforts.” – Albert Einstein

“Das Bittere und das Süße kam von außen, das harte von innen, aus dem eigenen Streben.” (German)

(Out Of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher And Man Portrayed Through His Own Words By Albert Einstein, Open Road Media, 2011, Convictions And Beliefs, 2. Self-Portrait(1938) source

(The quote in German is found in: Aus Meinen Späten Jahren By Albert Einstein, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1979, P. 13) source

“Strange is our situation here on earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of other men…” – Albert Einstein

“Wie merkwürdig ist die Situation von uns Erdenkindern! Für einen kurzen Besuch ist jeder da. Er weiß nicht wofür, aber manchmal glaubt er, es zu fühlen. Vom Standpunkt Des täglichen Lebens ohne tiefere Reflexion weiß man aber:man ist da für die anderen Menschen…” (German)

(What I Believe, Living Philosophies XIII By Albert Einstein, The Forum, October 1930, P. 193) source

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, P. 7) source

Note: There are different English translations to this quote, as found in: Einstein On Politics By Rowe and Schulmann, Ideas And Opinions and Einstein Credo.

“The life of the individual has meaning only in so far as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful. Life is sacred, that is to say, it is the supreme value, to which all other values are subordinate.” – Albert Einstein

“Leben des Individuums hat nur Sinn im Dienst der Verschönerung und Veredelung des Lebens alles Lebendigen. Leben ist heilig, d.h. der höchste Wert, von dem alle Wertungen abhängen.” (German)

(Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein Based on Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other Sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Pt. III: On The Jewish People, Is There A Jewish Point Of View?, P. 186) source

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, IV. Jüdische Probleme, Gibt Es Eine Jüdische Weltanschauung?, P. 90) source

“Hunger, love, pain, fear are some of those inner forces which rule the individual’s instinct for self-preservation.” – Albert Einstein

“Hunger, Liebe, Schmerz, Furcht sind solche inneren Kräfte, die das Individuum lebenserhaltend beherrachen.” (German)

(“Morals And Emotions” – Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

(The quote is also found in: Out Of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher And Man Portrayed Through His Own Words By Albert Einstein, Open Road Media, 2011, Convictions And Beliefs, 7. Morals And Emotions(1938) source

“We all know, from what we experience with and within ourselves, that our conscious acts spring from our desires and our fears.” – Albert Einstein

“Aus den Erfahrungen an uns selbst wissen wir, dass unser bewusstes Handeln durch unsere Wünsche und Befurchtungen bestimmt wird.” (German)

(Morals And Emotions, Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

(The quote is also found in: Out Of My Later Years By Albert Einstein, New York: Philosophical Library, 1950, Science, Convictions and Beliefs, 7, Morals And Emotions, P. 20) source

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“Morality …is not a fixed and stark system. It is a task never finished, something that is always present to guide our judgment and inspire our conduct.” – Albert Einstein

“Die Moralität…ist kein starres System. Es ist eine endende Aufgabe, die stets unser Urteil leiten und unser Streben beleben soll.” (German)

(“Morals And Emotions” – Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

(Another source the quote is found in: The New York Times, June 7, 1938) source

“Everything is dominated by the cult of efficiency and of success, and not by the value of things and men in relation to the moral ends of human society.” – Albert Einstein

“Ueberall dominiert der Kultus der Tüchtigkeit und des Erfolges, nicht aber der Wert der Ding und Menschen vom Standpunkt des moralischen Zieles der Nenschheit.” (German)

(“Morals And Emotions” – Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

(The quote is also found in: Out Of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher And Man Portrayed Through His Own Words By Albert Einstein, New York: Open Road Media, 2011, Convictions And Beliefs, 7. Morals And Emotions(1938) source

“The difficulty, the real difficulty that has baffled the sages of all times, is this: how can we make our teaching so potent in the emotional life of man that its influence should withstand the pressure of the elemental psychic forces in the individual?” – Albert Einstein

“Die wahre Schwierigkeit, die den alten Weisen im Wege stand, gipfelt in der Frage: wie sollen wir unserer Lehre im Gefuhlsleben der Menschen eine solche Nacht verleihen, dass ihre Wirkung gegen die elementaren psychischen Krafte im Individuum aufkommen kann?” (German)

(Morals And Emotions, Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

(The quote is also found in: Out Of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher, And Man Portrayed Through His Own Words By Albert Einstein, New York: Open Road Media, 2011, 7. Morals And Emotions) source

“…without tolerance in this widest sense there can be no question of true morality.” – Albert Einstein

“… ohne Toleranz in diesem weitesten Sinne kann von wahrer Moralität keine Rede sein.” (German)

(“Morals And Emotions” – Commencement Address At Swarthmore College, June 6, 1938 From Swarthmore Sesquicentennial) source

“The value of achievement lies in the achieving.” – Albert Einstein

“Der Wert der Leistung liegt im Geleisteten.” (German)

(The Ultimate Quotable Einstein Collected And Edited By Alice Calaprice, With A Foreword By Freeman Dyson, Princeton University Press, 2010, On Miscellaneous Subjects, Achievement, P. 413) source

Note: From the letter to David M Liberson, October 28, 1950.

“I am also convinced that one gains the purest joy from spiritual things only when they are not tied in with earning one’s livelihood.” – Albert Einstein

“Ich bin auch überzeugt, daß die Freude an geistigen Dingen am reinsten dort anzutreffen ist, wo diese nicht mit dem Broterwerb verknüpft ist.” (German)

(The Ultimate Quotable Einstein Collected And Edited By Alice Calaprice, With A Foreword By Freeman Dyson, Princeton University Press, 2010, On Miscellaneous Subjects, Youth, P. 458) source

Note: From the letter to L. L. Manners, March 19, 1954.

“Everything that the human race has done and thought is concerned with the satisfaction of deeply felt needs and the assuagement of pain.” – Albert Einstein

(Religion And Science By Professor Albert Einstein, New York Times Magazine, November 9, 1930, P. 1) source

(The quote is also found here.)

“Life is a great tapestry. The individual is only an insignificant thread in an immense and miraculous pattern.” – Albert Einstein

(Glimpses Of The Great By George Sylvester Viereck, Duckworth, 1930, P. 370) source

Note: This quote is NOT found in G. S. Viereck’s article “What Life Means to Einstein,” Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929.

“Sometimes… one pays most for things one gets for nothing.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, Time In Space, P. 113) source

(The quote is also found in: Glimpses Of The Great By George Sylvester Viereck, Duckworth, 1930, P. 361) source

“Man is, at one and the same time, a solitary being and a social being.” – Albert Einstein

(Why Socialism? By Albert Einstein, Monthly Review, May 01, 2009) source

Note: This article was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949).

“Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society.” – Albert Einstein

(Why Socialism? By Albert Einstein, Monthly Review, May 01, 2009) source

Note: This article was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949).

“I believe with Schopenhauer: We can do what we wish, but we can only wish what we must. Practically, I am, nevertheless, compelled to act as if freedom of the will existed. If I wish to live in a civilized community, I must act as if man is a responsible being.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Contemporary Great, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 114) source

“…the undeniable fact that the human will is not free.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Danger Of Too Much Analysis, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 114) source

“… it seems to me fairly evident that physiological factors, especially our endocrines, control our destiny.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Danger Of Too Much Analysis, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 114) source

“The only progress I can see is progress in organization. The ordinary human being does not live long enough to draw any substantial benefit from his own experience. And no one, it seems, can benefit by the experiences of others.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Danger Of Too Much Analysis, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117) source

“Being both a father and teacher, I know we can teach our children nothing. We can transmit to them neither our knowledge of life nor of mathematics. Each must learn its lesson anew.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Danger Of Too Much Analysis, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117) source

“Race is a fraud. All modern people are the conglomeration of so many ethnic mixtures that no pure race remains.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Measles Of Mankind, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117) source

“Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control…We all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.” – Albert Einstein

“Alles ist vorherbestimmt, Anfang wie Ende, durch Kräfte, über die wir keine Gewalt haben. …wir alle tanzen nach einer geheimnisvollen Melodie, die ein unsichtbarer Spieler in den Fernen des Weltalls anstimmt.” (German)

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Standardization Peril, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117) source

(The quote in German is found in: Schlagschatten: Sechsundzwanzig Schicksalsfragen An Grosse Dieser Zeit By George Sylvester Viereck, Berlin: Deutsch-Schweizerische Verlag-Anst., 1930, P. 64) source

“Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Standardization Peril, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117) source

“One cannot help but in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.” – Albert Einstein

(Death Of A Genius: His Fourth Dimension, Time Overtakes Einstein By William Miller, Life Magazine, Vol.38, No.18, May 2, 1955, P. 64) source

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

“Versuche nicht, ein erfolgreicher, sondern ein wertvoller Mensch zu werden.” (German)

(Death Of A Genius: His Fourth Dimension, Time Overtakes Einstein By William Miller, Life Magazine, Vol.38, No.18, May 2, 1955, P. 64) source

“The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life.” – Albert Einstein

“Wer sein eigenes Leben und das seiner Mitmenschen als sinnlos empfindet, der ist nicht nur unglücklich, sondern auch kaum lebensfähig.” (German)

(Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein, Based On Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Part I: Ideas And Opinions, The Meaning Of Life, Mein Weltbild, Amsterdam: Querida Verlag, 1934, P. 11) source

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Vom Sinn Des Lebens, P. 10) source

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend 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.” – Albert Einstein

“Jeden Tag denke ich unzählige Male daran, daß mein äußeres und inneres Leben auf der Arbeit der jetzigen und der schon verstorbenen Menschen beruht, daß ich mich anstrengen muß, um zu geben im gleichen Ausmaß, wie ich empfangen habe und noch empfange.” (German)

(Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein, Based On Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other Sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Part I: Ideas And Opinions, The World As I See It, P. 8) source

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, P. 7) source

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“I am strongly drawn to a frugal life and am often oppressively aware that I am engrossing an undue amount of the labor of my fellow-men.” – Albert Einstein

“Ich habe das Bedürfnis nach Genügsamkeit und habe oft das drückende Bewußtsein, mehr als nötig von der Arbeit meiner Mitmenschen zu beanspruchen.” (German)

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“Everybody acts not only under external compulsion but also in accordance with inner necessity.” – Albert Einstein

“Jeder handelt nicht nur unter äußerem Zwang, sonder nauch gemäß innerer Notwendigkeit.” (German)

(The quote is also found in: The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, P. 2) source

(Another source of the quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.” – Albert Einstein

“Meine Ideale, die mir voranleuchteten und mich mit frohem Lebensmut immer wieder erfüllten, waren Güte, Schönheit und Wahrheit.” (German)

(The quote is also found in: The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, P. 2) source

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized.” – Albert Einstein

“Jeder soll als Person respektiert und keiner vergöttert sein.” (German)

(The quote is also found in: The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, P. 3) source

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self.” – Albert Einstein

“Der wahre Wert eines Menschen ist in erster Linie dadurch bestimmt, in welchem Grad und in welchem Sinn er zur Befreiung vom Ich gelangt ist.” (German)

(The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, Good And Evil, PP. 7-8)

(The quote is also found in: Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein, Based On Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other Sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Part I: Ideas And Opinions, The True Value Of a Human Being, Mein Weltbild, Amsterdam: Querido Verlag, 1934, P. 12)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Der wahre Wert Eines Menschen, P. 10)

(The quote in German is also found in: Mein Weltbild. Hrsg. Von Carl Seelig, Europa Verlag, 1953, P. 11)

“A man’s value to the community depends primarily on how far his feelings, thoughts, and actions are directed towards promoting the good of his fellows.” – Albert Einstein

“Was ein Mensch für seine Gemeinschaft wert ist, hängt in erster Linie davon ab, inwieweit sein Fühlen, Denken und Handeln auf die Förderung des Daseins anderer Menschen gerichtet ist.” (German)

(The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, Society And Personality, P. 8)

(The quote is also found in: Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein, Based On Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other Sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Part I: Ideas And Opinions, Society And Personality, Mein Weltbild, Amsterdam: Querido Verlag, 1934, P. 13)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Gemeinschaft Und Persönlichkeit, P. 12)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“I am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause. The example of great and pure characters is the only thing that can lead us to noble thoughts and deeds.” – Albert Einstein

“Ich bin fest davon durchdrungen, daß keine Reichtümer der Welt die Menschheit weiterbringen können, auch nicht in der Hand eines dem Ziele noch so ergebenen Menschen. Nur das Beispiel großer und reiner Persönlichkeiten kann zu edlen Auffassungen und Taten führen.” (German)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Vom Reichtum, P.11)

“We cannot despair of humanity, since we are ourselves human beings.” – Albert Einstein

“Wir können nicht an den Menschen verzweifeln, denn wir sind selbst Menschen.” (German)

(The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part II, Politics And Pacifism, A Letter To A Friend Of Peace, P. 67)

(The quote is also found in: Ideas And Opinions By Albert Einstein, Based On Mein Weltbild, Edited By Carl Seelig, And Other Sources, New Translations And Revisions By Sonja Bargmann, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1954, Part II: On Politics, Government, And Pacifism, Three Letters To Friends Of Peace, Mein We1tbild, Amsterdam: Querida Verlag, 1934, I, p.109)

Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, II. Politik Und Pazifismus, Drei Briefe An Friedensfreunde, I, P. 53)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it.” – Albert Einstein

“Stilles bescheidenes Leben gibt mehr Glück als erfolgreiches Streben, verbunden mit beständiger Unruhe.” (German)

(The quote in German is found in: Millionenbetrag für Einstein-Sinnspruch: “Bescheidenes Leben gibt mehr Glück als erfolgreiches Streben”, 25 Sept, 2017, Spiegel Online)

Note: From the note wrote by Albert Einstein which he gave it to a courier in Hotel Tokyo, Japan in 1922.

“Don’t be too hard on me. Everyone has to sacrifice at the altar of stupidity from time to time, to please the Deity and the human race.” – Albert Einstein

(The Born Einstein Letters: Correspondence Between Albert And Max And Hedwig Born From 1916 To 1955 With Commentaries By Max Born, Translated By Irene Bore, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1971, Letter # 21, 9 September, 1920; P. 33)

(The quote is also found here.)

“…man has within him a lust for hatred and destruction. In normal times this passion exists in a latent state, it emerges only in unusual circumstances…” – Albert Einstein

(Why War? An Exchange Of Letters Between Freud And Einstein, Caputh Near Potsdam, 30th July, 1932)

(The quote is also found in: Einstein On Peace, With Preface By Bertrand Russell, Edited By Otto Nathan, Heinz Norden, Simon and Schuster, 1960, P. 190)

(Another source of the quote is found in: A Letter From Albert Einstein To Sigmund Freud, The Unesco Courier: Many Voices, One World, Caputh Near Potsdam, 30 July, 1932)

“It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance.” – Albert Einstein

“Beim Menschen ist es wie beim Velo. Nur wenn er faehrt, kann er bequem die Balance halten.” (German)

(Einstein: His Life And Universe By Walter Isaacson, Simon and Schuster, 2008, Notes, Epigraph: 1, P.565)

Note: The more popular version of this quote is:

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.“ – Albert Einstein

(Einstein: His Life And Universe By Walter Isaacson, Simon and Schuster, 2017, Illustrated, Ch. Sixteen, Turning Fifty, 1929-1931, P. 367)

(Read the whole Chapter Sixteen over here.)

“A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.” – Albert Einstein

(The Big Picture: The Meaning Of Life, Philosophers, Pundits And Plain Folk Ponder What It’s All About, Industrialist/Physician Armand Hammer, LIFE Magazine, December 1988)

“I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.” – Albert Einstein

(Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography By Carl Seelig, Staples Press, 1956, P. 114)

Note: Einstein is said to have made this remark “when someone in his company grew angry about a mutual acquaintance’s moral decline”.

“I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves…” – Albert Einstein

“In diesem Sinn nist mir Behagen und Glück nie als Selbstzweck erschienen…” (German)

(The World As I See It By Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, The World As I See It, P. 2)

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die welt, Wie Ich Die welt sehe, P. 8)

Note: Another English translation is:

“To make goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me…” – Albert Einstein

(What I Believe, Living Philosophies XIII By Albert Einstein, The Forum, October 1930, P. 194)

“…one should not pursue goals that are too easily reached… An instinct must be developed for what is just barely attainable upon exertion of the utmost effort.” – Albert Einstein

“…nicht den Zielen nachgehen, deren Erreichung leicht ist. Man muss einen Instinkt darüber erlangen, was unter Aufbietung der äussersten Anstrengung gerade noch erreichbar ist.” (German)

(The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 8: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, 1914-1918 (English Translation Supplement), Translated By Ann M. Hentschel, Doc. 87, To Walter Dällenbach, Berlin, 31 May 1915, P. 102)

(The quote in German is found in: The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 8, Part A: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, 1914-1917, Edited By Robert Schulmann, A. J. Kox, Michel Janssen, and József Illy, Doc. 87, To Walter Dällenbach, Berlin, 31 V. 1915, P. 136)

Note: From the letter to former student Walter Dällenbach, May 31, 1915, giving him some advice on an electrical engineering project.

“…wisdom is not a product of schooling, but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein

“Weisheit ist nicht das Ergebnis von Schulbildung, sondern des lebenslangen Versuchs, sie zu erwerben.” (German)

(Albert Einstein, The Human Side: Glimpses From His Archives, Edited By Helen Dukas And Banesh Hoffmann, With A New Foreword By Ze’ev Rosenkranz, Princeton University Press, 2013, Glimpses From His Archives, P. 44)

Note: From the letter by Albert Einstein replied to J. Dispentiere, an Italian immigrant on March 24, 1954.

“I believe in one thing — that only a life lived for others is a life worth living.” – Albert Einstein

“Nur ein für andere gelebtes Leben ist lebenswert.” (German)

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 91)

Note: Albert Einstein answered to a question asked by the editors of Youth, a journal of Young Israel of Williamsburg, N.Y.

(The quote is also found in: Einstein Is Terse In Rule For Success, The New York Times, June 20, 1932, P. 17)

(This quote is also found in: The Scranton Republican from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Friday, July 1, 1932, P. 8)

“I believe…that we don’t need to worry about what happens after this life, as long as we do our duty here – to love and to serve.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 94)

“…it is not intellect, but intuition which advances humanity. Intuition tells man his purpose in this life.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 103)

(The second part is here.)

“The knowledge that I am now on this earth and a mysterious part of eternity is enough for me.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 104)

“I believe the main task of the spirit is to free man from his ego.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 109)

“You can spend your whole life trying to prove what you believe; you may hunt for reasons, but it will all be in vain. Yet our beliefs are like our existence; they are facts. If you don’t yet know what to believe in, then try to learn what you feel and desire.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of the Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Fourth Conversation (1954), P. 136)

“Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Fourth Conversation (1954), P. 142)

“I do not need any promise of eternity to be happy… My eternity is now. I have only one interest: to fulfill my purpose here where I am.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Third Conversation (1948), P. 103)

“The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.” – Albert Einstein

“Dem Streben, Weisheit und Macht zu vereinigen, war nur selten und nur auf kurze Zeit Erfolg beschieden.” (German)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, IV, Aphorismen Für Leo Baeck, P. 105)

“…let us not forget that knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life.” – Albert Einstein

(Albert Einstein, The Human Side: Glimpses From His Archives, Edited By Helen Dukas And Banesh Hoffmann, With A New Foreword By Ze’ev Rosenkranz, Princeton University Press, 2013, P. 70)

“Our bodies are like prisons, and I look forward to be free, but I don’t speculate on what will happen to me. I live here now, and my responsibility is in this world now…” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein And The Poet: In Search Of The Cosmic Man By William Hermanns, Branden Press, 1983, Second Conversation (1943), P. 64)

“Only in a free society is man able to create the inventions and cultural values which make life worthwhile to modern man.” – Albert Einstein

(Einstein On Politics: His Private Thoughts And Public Stands On Nationalism, Zionism, War, Peace, And The Bomb By Alberte einstein, Edited By David E. Rowe And Robert Schulmann, Princeton University Press, 2013, Ch. 6: Hitler’s Germany And The Threat To European Jewry, 1933-1938, P. 280)

Note: From a speech in the Royal Albert Hall, “Science and Civilization,” October 3, 1933.

“People are like the sea, sometimes smooth and friendly, sometime stormy and treacherous. But after all, they are just water.” – Albert Einstein

“Die Menschen sind wie das Meer, manchmal glatt und freundlich, manchmal stürmisch und tückisch – aber eben in der Hauptsache nur Wasser.” (German)

Note: From the letter to his son Eduard Einstein writing about his life, work and place in the world.

The image of the original letters in German, together with the English translation is found here.

“It is not that difficult if you are not fishing for praise but are content with being useful.” – Albert Einstein

(Item No. 49, Historical Auction 84, April 18, 2016, P. 54)

Note: From the letter to his son Hans Albert Einstein.

The image of the original letters in German, together with the English translation is found here.

“The ordinary objects of human endeavour–property, outward success, luxury – have always seemed to me contemptible.” – Albert Einstein

“Die banalen Ziele menschlichen Strebens: Besitz, äußerer Erfolg, Luxus, erschienen mir seit meinen jungen Jahren verächtlich.” (German)

(The World As I See It by Albert Einstein, Translated By Alan Harris, California: The Book Tree, 2007, Part I, The World As I See It, The World As I See It, P. 2)

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I Wie Ich Die welt, Wie Ich Die welt, P. 8)

(The quote in German is also found in: Mein Weltbild. Hrsg. von Carl Seelig, Europa Verlag, 1953, P. 8)

“…the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.” – Albert Einstein

“…le monde court un plus grand danger de la part de ceux qui tolèrent le mal ou l’encouragent que de la part de ceux-là mêmes qui le commettent.” (French)

(Conversations With Casals By Josep Maria Corredor, Translated From The French By André Mangeot, With An Introduction By Pablo Casals, And An Appreciaition By Thomas Mann, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1957, Preface, P. 11)

(The quote in French is found in: Conversations Avec Pablo Casals: souvenirs Et Opinions D’un Musicien By Josep Maria Corredor & Pablo Casals, Paris: A. Michel, 1955, P. 11)

Note: Einstein’s tribute to Spanish cellist and conductor Pablo Casals, 30 March 1953.

“Race is a fraud. All modern people are the conglomeration of so many ethnic mixtures that no pure race remains.” – Albert Einstein

(What Life Means To Einstein: An Interview By George Sylvester Viereck, The Standardization Peril, The Saturday Evening Post, October 26, 1929, P. 117)

(The quote is also found in: Glimpses Of The Great By George Sylvester Viereck, Duckworth, 1930, P. 375)

“The finest things in life include having a clear grasp of correlations; only in a very dismal, nihilistic mood could you deny this, surely.” – Albert Einstein

“Es gehört zum Schönsten im Leben, Zusammenhänge klar zu überschauen; das könnten Sie doch nur in einer ganz trüben, nihilistischen Stimmung leugnen.” (German)

(The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 9: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January 1919-April 1920 (English Translation Supplement), Translated By Ann Hentschel, Doc.97 , To Hedwig Born, Berlin, Sunday, 31 August 1919, P. 80)

(The quote in German is found in: The Collected Papers Of Albert Einstein, Volume 9: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January 1919-April 1920, Edited By Diana Kormos Buchwald, Robert Schulmann, József Illy, Daniel J. Kennefick, & Tilman Sauer, Doc. 97, To Hedwig Born, Berlin, Sonntag, 31 August 1919, P. 143)

Note: From the letter to Hedwig Born, August 31, 1919.

“…we should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.” – Albert Einstein

“…Wir sollten uns davor hüten, den Intellekt zu unserem Gott zu machen. Gewiss, er hat starke Muskeln, jedoch keine Persönlichkeit.” (German)

(Einstein On Politics: His Private Thoughts And Public Stands on Nationalism, Zionism, War, Peace And The Bomb Edited By David E. Rowe And Robert Schulmann, Princeton University Press, 2013, Ch. 7, The Fate Of The Jews, 1939-1949, The Goal Of Human Existence, 11 April 1943, P. 322)

“I also believe that a simple and unassuming life is good for everybody, physically and mentally.” – Albert Einstein

“Auch glaube ich, daß ein schlichtes und anspruchsloses äußeres Leben für jeden gut ist, für Körper und Geist.” (German)

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Mein Weltbild Von Albert Einstein, Herausgegeben Von Carl Seelig, Berlin: Ullstein-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005, I. Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, Wie Ich Die Welt Sehe, PP. 7-8)

(The quote in German is also found here.)

“As long as I am able to work, I must not and will not complain, because work is the only thing that gives substance to life.” – Albert Einstein

“Aber solange ich arbeiten kann, darf und will ich mich nicht beklagen, denn dies ist das einzige, was dem Leben einen wirklichen Inhalt gibt.” (German)

(Einstein: His Life And Universe By Walter Isaacson, Simon and Schuster, 2007, Ch. 19, America, 1933-1939, Elsa’s Death, P. 442)

Note: From the letter to his son Hans Albert, January 4, 1937.

“As a social being, he seeks to gain the recognition and affection of his fellow human beings, to share in their pleasures, to comfort them in their sorrows, and to improve their conditions of life.” – Albert Einstein

(Why Socialism? By Albert Einstein, Monthly Review, May 01, 2009)

Note: This article was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949).

Note: All the above Albert Einstein advice on life are quoted from reliable sources.

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Albert Einstein Advice On Life

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