emc2 by spekulator
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was not only a brilliant physicist; he was also a war pacifist and vegetarian in the later years of his life! He was Time Magazines 1999 Person of the Century, and had a natural passion for nature.
Einstein is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He was ahead of his time in many ways, including his attitudes toward peace. It was his opinion that, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” It is comforting to know that this great genius saw peace and compassion as things worth spending time thinking about, and acting upon. He is also known for this quote: “Our task must be to [widen] our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
As intelligent as he was, Albert Einstein was a character, and far from perfect—one of the reasons I am so fond of him. Here are just a few interesting things about this crazily-coiffed genius you may not know.
Mentally Handicapped? Einstein’s parents originally thought he may have a mental handicap, because he was slow to begin speaking and often had articulation and communication issues when he was younger. On top of this, he was born with an enormous head (foreshadowing his brilliance, perhaps?), which lead doctors to believe he may be mentally handicapped. Mental handicaps, my foot.
He Failed Tests. Never underestimate yourself, or those around you. When Einstein was 17, he applied for early admission to the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School. While he passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, he failed the rest, including history, language, and geography. Bummer. He retook the exam a year later and was admitted.
He Was Offered Presidency. Of Israel! But he turned it down claiming he “had no head for problems.”
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems. Einstein once wrote “money only appeals to selfishness and irresistibly invites abuse.” When he was offered residency at Princeton, he request a mere 3,000 dollars—less than half of what he was offered. When he was offered a yearly pension, he had the monetary amount reduced, claiming the original offer “too generous.” He never owned a car.
I do love Einstein, but he is rumoured to have been a bit of a misogynist—he allegedly once made a contract with his estranged wife, insisting she did his laundry, fed him, cleaned up after him, and would stop talking if he “requested it.” Ouch. Not so cool, Einy. Needless to say, they got divorced. He then married his cousin.
Who are some vegetarians or vegans from the past you are inspired by?
