I cannot then believe in this concept of an anthropomorphic God who has the powers of interfering with these natural laws. As I said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science.
It's very depressing to live in a time where it's easier to break an atom than a prejudice.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the troubling reality that societal prejudices are harder to change than scientific advancements.
In this quote, Albert Einstein draws a profound comparison between the ease of scientific breakthroughs, such as atom splitting, and the challenges faced in overcoming deeply rooted prejudices in society. The statement reflects a critical observation about human nature and societal structures, suggesting that, despite our advancements in science and technology, our ability to change prejudiced attitudes remains painfully stagnant. This frustration reveals the complexities of human relationships and the need for a more empathetic understanding of one another.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about social justice initiatives.
More from Albert Einstein
All quotes βIf I would follow your advice and Jesus could perceive it, he, as a Jewish teacher, surely would not approve of such behavior.
I want to know all Gods thoughts; all the rest are just details.
In the middle of adversity there is great opportunity.
I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.
To me the worst thing seems to be a school principally to work with methods of fear, force and artificial authority. Such treatment destroys the sound sentiments, the sincerity and the self-confidence of pupils and produces a subservient subject.
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Under our system every voter and officeholder is a man who has demonstrated through voluntary and difficult service that he places the welfare of the group ahead of personal advantage.
I am at war with the living, I have come to terms with the dead.
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I think that our comfort is in our history.
The right to agree with others is not a problem in any society; it is the right to disagree that is crucial. It is the institution of private property that protects and implements the right to disagree - and thus keeps the road open to man's most valuable attribute: the creative mind.
Death obsesses me, yes it does. I can't really understand why it doesn't obsess everyone - I think it does really, I'm just a little more out about it.