What is your favorite Albert Einstein quote? Why?
It’s widely known that Albert Einstein was a genius. Most are familiar with his work as a physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, but he also shared intellect beyond science. Einstein’s many maxims about life point to a deep understanding of people, purpose, and happiness.
To help the Terkel community get inspired, we asked business leaders and entrepreneurs this question for their favorite Albert Einstein quotes and how his words motivate them in their daily life. From tying happiness to goals and not people to embracing imagination, there are several words of wisdom that may help you live a fuller life for the coming years.
Here are 10 quotes about life from Albert Einstein to inspire your own inner-genius:
- Make Goals
- Define Problems
- Take Action
- Stay Positive
- Explain It Simply
- Be Curious
- Think Critically
- Keep an Open Mind
- Use Your Imagination
- Dream Big
Make Goals
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to goals, not to people,” is my favorite quote about life from Albert Einstein. People are amazing creatures, but don’t get attached to them. When you have expectations from other people, you set some standards. When those standards don’t meet, we start to live a less happy life. Instead, when you set goals, be sure the goal starts with you and ends with you. The biggest delusion we have in life is that we set goals that include other people.
Antreas Koutis, Financer
Define Problems
“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and 1 minute resolving it.” This is one of my favorite Albert Einstein quotes because it highlights the significance of spending time to define the scope of the problem. By focusing on why the problem exists in the first place and who is involved, you can determine the best possible solution to achieve the desired outcome.
Rronniba Pemberton, Markitors
Take Action
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” This quote can apply to many areas of our life, such as our mental health, work, and even relationships. The feeling of getting stuck in a dead-end job or a relationship with no future is very similar, and the action we must take for both cases is the same — keep moving! It’s better to move on, even to something uncertain, than to do nothing and fall. I love this quote because it pushes me to get out of my comfort zone, look for new experiences, and learn something new every day. It especially helps me grow.
Jessica Ulloa, MyPerfectResume
Stay Positive
“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” Make sure that you are surrounded by positive and uplifting people. This way, you will be in a better headspace to feel confident and productive.
Matt Seaburn, Rent A Wheel
Explain It Simply
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” I love this quote because I think it’s so applicable in business. Every marketing tool, from elevator pitches to Instagram captions, relies on the ability to succinctly and accurately convey your business’s mission and the reasons customers should buy your product. If you can’t explain your concept in 60 seconds or less, you probably don’t understand it well enough to launch that business.
Yuvi Alpert, Noémie
Be Curious
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” To me, this quote reminds me that passion doesn’t always have to be something you’re naturally gifted at. Instead, it can simply stem from genuine interest and curiosity in the subject.
Tom Mumford, Undergrads
Think Critically
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I like how this quote distinguishes, very simply, between memorizing facts and actually comprehending concepts. This inspires me to think more critically about whatever I’m learning or pursuing.
Abraham Rahmanizadeh, Leafwell Botanicals
Keep an Open Mind
“I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.” This quote provides a sense of clarity about the duality in which we must see the world to navigate it with a sense of awareness. Our feelings, our inclinations, our tendencies are the way they are, and we are allowed to feel validated. But, we are a part of everyone else’s world just as much as others are a part of ours. This quote speaks of the balance you should have to know what feels right but also knowing that you can be wrong. Grasping this reality is grounding, which is a pertinent part of preparing for success.
Jeff Goodwin, Orgain
Use Your Imagination
“Logic will get you from point A to point B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” While I have had to learn a lot about e-commerce and digital marketing in order to build my T-shirt business, the inspiration for it stems mainly from my creative side. I enjoy coming up with clever designs that will both make people laugh and appreciate a good pop-culture reference because I really get to use my imagination and work within a headspace of endless possibilities.
Mike Pasley, Famous IRL
Dream Big
“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.” Sometimes passion is more important than logic. If you love what you’re doing, you’re more likely to find success with it.
Brittany Dolin, Pocketbook Agency
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