How is that a posthumous citation? Do you mean that the cite was in a source that was printed after Einstein’s death in 1955, or is the “1950” a typo?
Horselover Fat
Why do SUVs keep creeping into this discussion? The first vehicles I mentioned were “smelly Volkswagens”. I hope I didn’t give the impression I was talking about Passats or any recent production for that matter. I was talking about busses and Beetles. Have you ever seen a fuel-efficiency comparison of a typical modern SUV with a Volkswagen bus from the 1970s? I haven’t. I will treat any unsupported insinuations to the contrary with utmost skepticism.
I don’t know, what is wrong with simple living? The quote I was stinging on was “Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live”. (Sure I’m hijacking the thread further but I warned you.) Is it really fair to accuse someone of causing the deaths of others because you consider their lifestyle complex? Perhaps it’s not as infantile as calling someone a crypto-fascist butt-munch (and I’m not accusing you of saying this, Horselover), but it’s still idle subcultural sniping. If it’s petroleum consumption that you think is keeping people from “simply living”, then explain how. No one ever expands on any of these bumper stickers because if they did, it would reveal in clear terms how empty this kind of thinking is. No amount of spending, use of non-hemp products, bathing, or ignorance of CSN lyrics makes you a murderer.
I’m complaining about tripe masquerading as philosophy. If you’re not an empty-headed, unwashed, self-righteous retrohippy, then ignore me. I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about the people that own the four-wheeled eyesores that line my block, and flick cigarette butts into the gutter to prove their commitment to the ecology.
<i>“Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live”.</i>
I don’t want to get too off topic but that statement is open to huge amount if interpretation. I personally don’t see it having to do anything with murder or driving a 60’s microbus. I do see it as a indictment on consumerism and its pollution and wastes. The ‘others’ refers to future generations that will inherit our mess.
Do a web search for ‘simple living’ for more info.
OK, first off, on the OP, (make things as simple as possible, but no simpler), I’ve heard that quote bantered about the department a good bit, but never attributed to Einstein… Something tells me that it was Bohr, but I could be mistaken. I’ll ask around on Monday.
Secondly, on the hijack, concerning Einstein’s qualifications to speak on matters of international relations: Al was actually offered the position of President of the newly-formed state of Isreal after the war, but he declined, saying, “I have no head for the affairs of people”. Of course, this still makes him considerably more qualified than most politicians, but he at least knew his own limitations.
Geez, I’m batting 0 for 2. The remark about it being a posthumous citation was referring to the Newsweek quote, since it was 1979. I didn’t check back issues of Life, but I’ll guess it’s there in 1950. I did check back issues of Newsweek, since I found another dictionary referring to it, and the quote is there, at the end of the magazine. It’s in a column by the famous unwashed, dreadlocked VW-SUV driving hippie George F. Will.
I’m not sure where back issues of Readers’ Digest are as of yet, but I’m wondering if that’s the source or if Mr. Will thought it up or put it in Einstein’s mouth.
And as to the “genuine Einstein quote” I put in at the end, well, it’s wrong, too. I took it from a quote dictionary, which even cited it correctly, but two other sources say “often misquoted as” for the form I gave. Here’s the correct form : “Jedenfalls bin ich ueberzeugt, dass der wuerfelt nicht.” (“Nevertheless I am convinced that He does not play dice.”)
panama jack
“We do things with our mind, even in our everyday life, for which we are not responsible.” - Einstein, in conversation with Rabindranath Tagore. Correctly quoted but I’ve taken it out of context.
roflmao Boris, if we ever meet, I’ll buy you a beer. Keep those hippies in check, in the meantime I’ll ram every damn car that has one of those insanely annoying bumper stickers