Every so often, I run across interesting quotes that relate to photography or nature in some way and I thought it might be interesting to share them from time to time.
The first quote in this very intermittent series comes from Albert Einstein. We all know a great deal about him, but here is a quote that reveals something of his philosophy that I had not previously realized.
"A human being is part of the whole, called by us the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty"
Albert Einstein
There is a tremendous amount to think about in that statement. I particularly like the idea of the 'optical delusion of conciousness' and how this delusion effects and influences our actions. What a different place the world would (could) be........
Jun 11, 2007
Quick Quotes: Albert Einstein
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5 comments:
What a great quote! I have never seen this one before from the great A.E. I do think the world would be dramatically different if a human-centric emphasis was/would be altered in this way. There is a lot to think about here for certain.
Indeed this is an amazing statement. I keep coming back to the part about "widening our circle of compassion"--beautiful really--and a lesson we as a race so desperately need.
Thanks for sharing. I so enjoy your blog.
Thanks Heather. It certainly reveals a side of Einstein that I wsn't familiar with.
Hmmm, there was an anonymous comment that I approved but somehow doesn't seem to have shown up. If you are out there and resubmit it I will try again. It seems to have dissappeared into the ethers.
I'd say Einstein was a Taoist at heart.
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