Albert Einstein — one of the most celebrated scientists in history — is renowned not just for his groundbreaking contributions to physics but also for his profound and often witty observations on life, humanity, and the universe.
His insights extend far beyond the realm of science — touching on themes of education, peace, religion, and the human condition.
Einstein’s perspectives were marked by a deep curiosity and a playful yet insightful understanding of the world.
His words often reflect a profound wisdom that encourages us to think more deeply about the world and our place in it.
Below, we’ve curated a selection of Albert Einstein’s most memorable quotes. These phrases provide a window into his genius mind, offering nuggets of wisdom and a unique viewpoint on a variety of topics.
(Many quotes commonly attributed to Einstein have been found to be misattributed or made up. We’ve worked diligently to fact-check the quotes included in this article.)
Whether you’re a fan of his scientific work or are simply seeking inspiration from one of the great minds of the 20th century, these quotes are sure to engage and enlighten:
The Best Quotes from Albert Einstein
Famous Quotes
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
— Albert Einstein
“Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”
— Albert Einstein
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”
— Albert Einstein
“When the solution is simple, God is answering.”
— Albert Einstein
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
— Albert Einstein
“Without deep reflection, one knows from daily life that one exists for other people.”
— Albert Einstein
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
— Albert Einstein
About Life
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
— Albert Einstein
“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”
— Albert Einstein
“I never think of the future — it comes soon enough.”
— Albert Einstein
“I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.”
— Albert Einstein
“The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in health or we suffer in soul or we get fat.”
— Albert Einstein
“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason, mastery demands all of a person.”
— Albert Einstein
About Education
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
— Albert Einstein
“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
— Albert Einstein
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
— Albert Einstein
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”
— Albert Einstein
“Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’’
— Albert Einstein
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”
— Albert Einstein
About Science
“The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.”
— Albert Einstein
“Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one’s living at it.”
— Albert Einstein
“The man of science is a poor philosopher.”
— Albert Einstein
“No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.”
— Albert Einstein
“Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone.”
— Albert Einstein
“Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.”
— Albert Einstein
About Success
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
— Albert Einstein
“The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.”
— Albert Einstein
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
— Albert Einstein
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
— Albert Einstein
On Human Rights
“In talking about human rights today, we are referring primarily to the following demands: protection of the individual against arbitrary infringement by other individuals or by the government; the right to work and to adequate earnings from work; freedom of discussion and teaching; adequate participation of the individual in the formation of his government. These human rights are nowadays recognized theoretically, although, by abundant use of formalistic, legal maneuvers, they are being violated to a much greater extent than even a generation ago.”
— Albert Einstein
“There is, however, one other human right which is infrequently mentioned but which seems to be destined to become very important: this is the right, or the duty, of the individual to abstain from cooperating in activities which he considers wrong or pernicious.”
— Albert Einstein
“In a long life I have devoted all my faculties to reach a somewhat deeper insight into the structure of physical reality. Never have I made any systematic effort to ameliorate the lot of men, to fight injustice and suppression, and to improve the traditional forms of human relations. The only thing I did was this: in long intervals I have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunate that silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity.”
— Albert Einstein
“We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred responsibility.”
— Albert Einstein, regarding human rights
Short Quotes
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”
— Albert Einstein
“You can’t blame gravity for falling in love.”
— Albert Einstein
“The environment is everything that isn’t me.”
— Albert Einstein
“Information is not knowledge.”
— Albert Einstein
“God may be subtle, but he isn’t plain mean.”
— Albert Einstein
“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.”
— Albert Einstein
“Love is a better teacher than duty.”
— Albert Einstein
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
— Albert Einstein
“God always takes the simplest way.”
— Albert Einstein
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.”
— Albert Einstein
→ Explore more short quotes
More Albert Einstein Quotes
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
— Albert Einstein
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain, children, all our lives.”
— Albert Einstein
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”
— Albert Einstein
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”
— Albert Einstein
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
— Albert Einstein
“I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.”
— Albert Einstein
“A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.”
— Albert Einstein
“In the past it never occurred to me that every casual remark of mine would be snatched up and recorded. Otherwise I would have crept further into my shell.”
— Albert Einstein