7 Rules For Life From Einstein

Anyone who knows me knows that Albert Einstein is a hero of mine. Yes he had a great physics brain and, building upon the work before him and with help from his first wife, he changed everything we know and think about the universe.

He also took the fame platform he was given and tried to make the world a better place for everyone else.

And I do like these 7 "rules" that Ethan Seigel has gleaned from the way Einstein lived his life. I think I'm well on the way to putting them into action, need to think more about fascinating things.

Rule #1: Expend your efforts on the things that matter.

This is currently proving to be both very difficult and extremely easy. I'd say that things that matter do not have to entail $.

Rule #2: Do things you love, even if you’re terrible at them.

Oh god yes. I love singing, but think I'm awful at it and it's a nightmare for people to hear. I'm pretty bad at dancing as well and get very self conscious and embarrassed when I do. But, fuck it, I do it now and again, I should do it more.

Rule #3: Have a puzzle mindset.

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

Of course knowing stuff is important, it's how the universe works and it'll continue working like that no matter what we think.

Imagination allows us to conjure views to describe it, to take paths through it, and to allow us in to the truly amazing parts.

It also helps me deal with other humans, imagination ("empathy") is always needed when talking with others.

Rule #4: Think deeply, both long and hard, about things that truly fascinate you.

If you are fascinated by the politics of your country, think about it way more than merely throwing out a meme.

Take time to go deep. Examine in your mind all the possible outcomes of your thoughts, question and query everything, bring to the fore all the things you need to research. Discover everything you can from all aspects, be curious. 

And don't do it flippantly, take it seriously and give it the time it deserves from you. 

Rule #5: Don’t let politics fill you with either rage or despair.

This is the message for our times eh. I'm not one to get involved in naked politics, I will support causes (Greenpeace, Amnesty International) that some would consider political but I don't. I will also have a view on events, Israel is wrong in it's ongoing actions in Palestine for instance.

I'm not one to take sides, I'm happy and confident enough to pick the issues I care about and to have a view, other issues can come and go and I'm not that bothered.

Rule #6: Blind obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of the truth.

Once we abandon our critical thinking faculties because we are certain we know the answer, we tend to simply go along with those who agree with us and oppose those who espouse anything different. To Einstein, this represented the death of the rational mind, which he called “collective insanity” or a “herd mind.” Today, we would likely call it groupthink, and Einstein noted that it was often driven by a prominent figure spouting propaganda.

I am genuinely bemused by those (some are friends) that follow the propaganda of others, and once you start being a mouthpiece then you simple become a tool to be used as and when they see fit.

Question everyone and everything, sure, but especially those you see as important and in positions of power in your internal hierarchy.

Rule #7: Science, truth, and education are for everyone, not just the privileged few.

Welcome to my world of sharing and attempting to explain stuff.