First of all, charming and nervous personality.
Einstein's character is gradually formed under the influence of family, school, atmosphere of the times and his psychological characteristics and temperament. Adversity, in particular, should not be underestimated in the casting of his character. No wonder he said, "It's good to experience adversity." In 190 1, he must have thought of Spinoza's life journey, and he deeply understood Schopenhauer's life motto:
"Calm and serene temperament, perfect and healthy physique, clear, positive, thorough and reliable reason, measured and noble will, and Ming Che's mirror-like conscience are all irreplaceable advantages of fame and fortune. As far as the happiness of a person's life is concerned, no matter what kind of person he wants to be, personality is definitely the first and most essential. "
In the pursuit and exploration of the mysteries of the universe, and in the cooperation and struggle to promote "all the greatest undertakings-goodwill between people and peace on earth", Einstein was an almost fascinating person, and his personality was formed and exposed-lifelike, full of charm and tension. Nathan and Norden made a detailed and profound summary of this: unlike other people of his contemporaries, Einstein enjoyed extraordinary world reputation and he was respected and respected. As far as his temperament and the boldness of scientific imagination are concerned, he is an outstanding person; As far as greatness and humility are concerned, his name has an undefined meaning, partly because he has become a symbol of major scientific discoveries, and perhaps more because of his innate characteristics of communicating with the world in a wonderful way.
Despite Einstein's enthusiasm, except for a few cases, there is an almost insurmountable gap between him and the outside world. Although he has close friendship with several friends, he is a lonely man. He suffers from this loneliness, but loneliness also brings him great benefits: he says that he is a "lone ranger", a person who acts according to his own judgment and then draws strength from loneliness.
Einstein knew people's admiration for him. He couldn't explain this reverence to himself and thought it was not worth it. No matter how embarrassed he is, he still admits that it provides him with a special opportunity to act for the benefit of others and the whole society. He deeply feels that he has the responsibility to exert his efforts and influence, and he hopes that these efforts and influences will be fruitful at any time. He is always ready to interrupt his imperial examination work-even when he is busy with other things, he concentrates on scientific work-in order to devote his time and energy to other people or public utilities. He receives visitors, studies documents, prepares public statements or provides any services he needs. Whether you are in contact with applause from the university or the public, or someone who knows nothing about him and the world. He does not hesitate to act. He is always very sensitive to the feelings of any individual he associates with, no matter how humble this person is in this world.
Einstein seems to be aware of the richness and polarity of his personality, and he accepted this fact with humor. When he prefaced Kaiser's biography of Einstein, he reminded people:
"Being ignored by the author may be the irrational, contradictory, ridiculous and crazy side of my personality. These things seem to be buried in people's character by the ever-present nature for their own pleasure. But these things will only be revealed when a person's mind is seriously tested. This is a matter of course. Because otherwise, how can the distance between people be shortened? "
Indeed, contradictions or bipolar tension in Einstein's personality are everywhere: he yearns for loneliness, but occasionally interferes with the world; He is indifferent to the world, but full of sympathy and enthusiasm for people; He is detached from things, but he is entangled in the world; His spirit is infinitely free, but he is firmly bound by conscience and morality; He is full of fantasy, but down-to-earth; He is humorous, good at joking, and sometimes even a little mischievous and cynical, but he has a very serious sense of responsibility for social justice and justice and enthusiastically defends it ... Einstein himself realized all this, and he said:
"My strong sense of social justice and social responsibility, and my obvious indifference to others and social contact, the two always form an odd contrast. I am really a "lonely traveler". I have never belonged to my country, my family, my friends or even my closest relatives wholeheartedly. In the face of all these relationships, I always feel a certain distance and need to remain lonely-and this feeling is increasing year by year. People will clearly find that there is a limit to mutual understanding and coordination with others, but this is not a pity. Such a person will undoubtedly lose his innocence and carefree mood; On the other hand, he can be largely unaffected by other people's opinions, habits and judgments, and can be tempted to build his inner balance on this unreliable basis. "
Einstein's psychological inner poles complement each other and work harmoniously, which makes his personality show charm that ordinary people can't reach-his external charm may be the externalization of internal tension. Many researchers have noticed this feature of Einstein. Kuznetsov said: A lonely observer is also a fanatical defender of social justice. When dealing with people, I am cheerful, sincere and frank, and at the same time I am eager to leave people (whether casual conversationalists or relatives and friends) and return to my inner world. Einstein's image is very contradictory. But in these contradictions, you can always grasp a profound harmony. Frank said: Einstein's speeches often mix harmless jokes with sharp satire, which makes some people laugh and cry. His jokes are often like this, that is, as a clever child said, talking about some complicated relationships. This attitude often seems to be a profound criticism, and sometimes even gives people a sense of cynicism. So Einstein's impression on people around him is between two extremes: naive happiness and a little cynicism. Between these two poles, people will think that he is a cheerful and lively person. Being with him will broaden your horizons and increase your knowledge. Kaiser's description and analysis are more in-depth:
"Conquest and service, discovery and humility determine the fate of this creative person. These forces never clashed with Einstein, but acted in harmony. This makes his unified character achieve the greatest happiness and charm. Because of the unparalleled significance and legendary personality of his work, he became a famous figure of our time. His popularity has not changed his essential humanity at all; He has been avoiding all the glory and danger that this reputation can bring. "
Second, independent personality.
The striking feature of Einstein's personality is absolute independence based on spiritual freedom. It can be said that this independence began in his youth when he bid farewell to religion and converted to science, and accompanied him all his life. He called himself a "tramp and eccentric" and a "stubborn and irregular person", which is actually a true and vivid portrayal of his independent personality.
Einstein was well aware of the value and social significance of independent personality, which he thought was really precious in life. However, he also painfully saw that the alienation of science and the concentration of power caused by it are making scientists depend on people economically, and at the same time threatening his independence mentally, hindering the development of his independent personality and forcing him to be silent. Sadly, scientists have regressed to such an extent that it is an inevitable fate for them to accept the slavery imposed on them; Even self-indulgence to this point, and finally tamed to make his talents sick.
Faced with this reality, Einstein's position and attitude are very firm: he would rather be a chicken mouth than a cow queen; A glorious death is better than a shameful life. In order to gain independence of personality and freedom of thought, he repeatedly said that he would rather be a plumber, shoemaker and peddler with independent personality than a scientist without freedom. His teasing is by no means posturing, but a heartfelt need of life.
Einstein's independent personality is fully reflected in his consistent pursuit of the ideals and goals of truth, goodness and beauty. No matter in scientific work or in social, political and moral fields, he never strives for quick success and instant benefit, keeps up with the trend of the times and won't go along with others. He revised only strategies and methods according to the changes in the situation, not the general direction. He is like a stubborn mule, climbing the mountain with heavy load, never taking a step back and never giving up until he reaches his goal. This feature even penetrated into his daily life and became an aspect of his personality.
Opposing authority and personality cult is also the concentrated expression of Einstein's independent personality. Einstein opposed authority because he knew that authority could not act as a judge in the field of truth, not to mention that authority that entered people's minds was the "greatest enemy" of truth. He thinks blind worship of authority is a sign of low IQ.
Einstein has always hated the cult of personality, especially the cult of himself, which he found very bizarre and unbearable. He said:
"Personality cult is always unreasonable. Of course, nature will not distribute her gifts equally to her children; But, thank God, many people have received generous gifts, and I am convinced that most of them live a cold and unobtrusive life. I think it is unfair, even vulgar, to single out a few of these people and praise them endlessly, thinking that their thoughts and qualities have superhuman strength. This is the fate I have experienced. It is ridiculous to compare the public's estimation of my ability and achievements with the actual situation! "
"Let everyone be respected as an individual, and don't let anyone become an idol. I received excessive praise and respect from people. This is not my own fault, nor my own credit, but it is really a mockery of fate. "
When Einstein was alive, he made up his mind not to let his house in Princeton become a pilgrimage site in the future (now pilgrims can only take pictures of the house and can't get in), and the ashes were secretly scattered to prevent worshippers from coming to pay their respects.
Loneliness and otherness are the distinctive features of Einstein's independent personality. Pace is right: "If I had to use one word to describe Einstein's characteristics, I would choose' outlier'." Einstein yearned for loneliness and was willing to live a lonely life: he envied the work of guarding the lighthouse alone, missed the beautiful days of the secular monastery in the patent office, and was fascinated by the quiet daydream when traveling by boat. Loneliness is the need of Einstein's scientific research, political orientation and even moral emotion. Loneliness makes him detached from things, customs and individuals, and gives him a quiet and objective foothold and observation perspective, thus gaining a high degree of spiritual freedom and personality independence-this is a lonely life without any self-interest. Einstein said that loneliness "this way of liberation is really an invaluable treasure given to people by real culture", in a word. He said that since his youth, he yearned for and expected to sit quietly in a corner and do his own thing without public attention. It was in his loneliness of hard study that he found his own way and insight into the mysteries of nature. Loneliness is the most striking feature of Einstein's scientific creation. Loneliness also made Einstein find his own way in the dangerous political territory, with unique opinions, always loyal to the simple direction and straightforward judgment. The reason why Einstein was able to be unique and unique in such a sinister environment before and after the two world wars, without the slightest timidity and flattery, has to be said to be related to his lonely character and nature. It is worth noting that Einstein also found his spiritual home and destination from his cherished loneliness-a deeper emotional and ideological realm. Loneliness makes him independent, independent and independent in the cross-flow society and insensitive sea of people. In a letter 1933 to a professional musician who is pessimistic and desperate because of his difficult situation, he wrote: "Never forget that all those noble people are lonely-and they must be-because of this, they can enjoy spotless purity in their own environment." In his letter to the Queen of Belgium in 1939, he said:
"Maybe one day, loneliness will eventually be correctly recognized and appreciated as a teacher of personality. Orientals have long known this. People who have experienced loneliness will not be easily deceived by public disturbance. "
Third, love mankind.
The love of God in Judaism and the commandment of imitating God, the spirit of humanity and fraternity in the European Renaissance and Enlightenment, the motto of "those who do good do good" in Oriental Buddhism, and the "four boundless hearts" and "the benevolent love others" in Confucianism all seem to be integrated into Einstein's humanity. Einstein's kindness is perhaps the most amazing and touching miracle in our world.
When "inhumanity" and "disastrous ills" prevailed, and "man cools faster than the earth where he lives", Einstein always warmed the world with love and sympathy, which can be seen from many anecdotes and daily chores: he gave the elevator to the maid who carried the luggage, while himself and his guests climbed the stairs. In a hotel, he pitied the old doorman and wouldn't let him carry the box, so he tried to carry it upstairs himself. As a result, he fell ill with heart failure. He often refused to be photographed and interviewed by reporters, but when he heard that a female reporter came to Belgium to visit him and wanted to write an interview to keep his job and support his three children, he made an exception out of deep sympathy. Regardless of personal grievances, he made a special trip to the prison to rescue a paranoid crazy woman who tried to shoot him.
Einstein was especially fond of children. He often spares no effort to write letters and answer questions for students seeking help. His love and sympathy also extended to those little creatures.
Einstein was very helpful. He is kind-hearted and can interrupt what he is doing at any time and write letters of introduction to people who ask for help, which is almost responsive. Because there are too many letters of introduction, and although he is famous and has no extensive social contacts, his role is not as great as people think, and many letters of introduction are treasured as precious handwriting.
People understand and feel Einstein's humanity and fraternity, so they write to him from all over the world, pour out their deepest anxieties and worries, tell him many things that have nothing to do with him, and make him laugh, because people firmly believe that "this person can help us and this person will help us."
Einstein has always treated people equally, whether they are presidents, queens, university presidents, famous scholars, movie stars, young students or ordinary students. Even if he is regarded as the doorman, servant and even paranoid person at the bottom of society, he can respect each other and treat each other with courtesy.
Even when offering help to people who seek help, Einstein paid special attention to respecting each other and putting himself in others' shoes. He once said a meaningful sentence: "If you want to be an innocent member of the flock, you must first be a sheep." He regards people who ask for help as equal friends, and his humble and polite attitude makes them feel no condescension or gift, and even a thank-you is inappropriate or there is no gap at all.
Einstein's kind humanity can also be seen from his tolerant attitude towards people. He believes that people with unorthodox and radical ideas were regarded as geniuses or eccentrics at that time, "there is no objective test standard." For example, Kepler, who challenged accepted ideas, was like this. According to Shankland's report 1950, even for Nazi scientists like Learnard and Stark who had viciously attacked the theory of relativity and Einstein himself, Einstein talked about them in a completely fair tone, with a little malice and irony.
When dealing with the priority issue, we can also measure Einstein's tolerance and integrity to human nature. According to I.B. Cohen 1955, Einstein felt "sad" about Galileo's denial of Kepler's work, and "shocked" about Newton's actions in the fierce debate with Hooke and Leibniz, and thought all this was "vanity". Einstein only partially agreed with Cohen that "Franklin never wrote anything controversial to protect his experiments or ideas, which is enough to be proud". He said:
"It is right to avoid personal intrigue, but it is also important for a person to defend his thoughts. People should not simply give up their ideas because they are irresponsible, as if they don't really believe it.
When it comes to priorities related to himself, Einstein can treat them so correctly.
Fourth, noble character.
"Tall people can climb cliffs, and ice and snow can last forever." Einstein's character is like a cliff in thousands of feet, which has pulled out the great scale; Such as eternal ice and snow, glittering and translucent Ming Che. Everyone who came into contact with Einstein was greatly infected by his personality charm, and felt a strong desire to "be curious".
Einstein's noble character is reflected in all aspects of his words and deeds-
Einstein was indifferent to fame and fortune, and regarded fame and fortune as a cloud. In Vanity Fair, which everyone loves, Einstein will always be a hunter rather than a hunter. When he fills in his resume and letter of appointment, he often neglects to fill in the Nobel Prize, which can be explained not only by his poor memory. Einstein often received many honorary certificates. Instead of hanging them on the wall in a photo frame, he hid them in a corner he called "boasting". It tries to avoid honor. Sometimes, when interviewed by reporters, the admirers worship him, and he would rather go to the park to hide for a few hours. Einstein refused to write an autobiography. He never signs, does not sign, and does not sign easily. He is always worried that someone will sign. He once said to a friend, "signature hunting is the last legacy of cannibalism: people used to eat people, but now they have found their symbolic chips to replace them."
Einstein was always introspective and self-disciplined. Sometimes he seems helpless and has to laugh at himself and blame himself. He seems to have become a madman, a liar, a magician, a hypnotist and a circus clown. He doesn't want to "be watched like an award-winning cow and give a speech at numerous conferences and small meetings". He doesn't want to be a symbolic leader with a halo on his head. He just wants to be an ordinary sheep among innocent sheep.
Some people may think that Einstein's indifference to fame and fortune is because he came to you with more fame and fortune. There may be some truth in this statement. However, it is an indisputable fact that Einstein abandoned fame and fortune out of sincerity. He is by no means putting on airs, let alone grandstanding and playing hard to get. At the age of 70, he wrote a long-buried voice:
"Being a sober audience is better than being an actor in broad daylight. For inexplicable reasons, he gave me a completely overestimated evaluation. Humans need some fictional idols as the highlights of the existing monotonous places in the world. I have become such a bright spot. "
Einstein's frequent introspection, guilt and self-blame are regarded as the focus of the world, although it is not his fault and responsibility. When he answered a scholar's question about his fame, he said seriously, "It seems to be a forgery."
Einstein's contempt for fame and fortune is also based on his simple rational understanding. In an article mourning Planck, he wrote: "A person who benefits the world with creative ideas does not need the praise of future generations. His achievements themselves have given him higher returns. " He also hit the nail on the head and pointed out: "People who try to have wisdom and strength at the same time rarely succeed, and even if they succeed, they are only a flash in the pan." Einstein's contempt for fame and fortune is also because his sharp eyes have already seen through this ridiculous society and the crowd chasing snobs. In a letter to a friend, he wrote:
"Your beloved Schopenhauer once pointed out that people who suffer are always unable to stage tragedies, but are destined to fall into tragicomedy. Seriously! I often feel this way myself. Yesterday was regarded as an idol, today was hated and spurned, tomorrow was forgotten, and the next day was admired. Only by humor can we get rid of it. As long as we are alive, we must maintain this humor. "
He also cursed that "this society is a madhouse. With fame, everything comes."
Einstein always lacked interest in the money that people were crazy about, and paid more attention to his actions. After he arrived at Princeton, he didn't want to get a high salary. He suggested that he pay the salary of a colleague who didn't intend to be employed by the institute on the grounds that he had too much money. Rockefeller Foundation gave him a check for 15000 dollars on his 70th birthday. He used it as a bookmark for a long time and failed to cash it. He said calmly, "Every property is a stumbling block" and "I can give up anything".
Einstein lived a simple life. This is not only his strong psychological yearning, but also his actual lifestyle. The furnishings in Einstein's bedroom are extremely simple. He goes out to give lectures, often takes a third-class bus and often wears old clothes. He wrote in his diary: "Excessive and nervous worries make me uneasy. With so much unnecessary care, I feel like a labor exploiter. "
Austerity and even simplification of daily life seem to have become Einstein's hobbies and habits. He dressed casually, even when attending the Eucharist. He dresses for comfort or convenience, not to look good or show off, and the appearance packaging has no other meaning to him except trouble and cumbersome. He pursues simplicity even in life. When someone asked him why he used ordinary soap to shave instead of special lotion, he said, "Two kinds of soaps? That's too complicated. " He used this to oppose "using the ability of invention and creation to make things that make daily life more complicated."
Einstein was particularly modest and prudent, not because of posturing, but because of his inner needs. According to Sui's recollection, Einstein never talked about his theory for grandstanding. He developed his ideas slowly and effectively, repeating the most important points. He never imagined that the listener's understanding was extremely strong or extremely poor. His speech was as if he were expounding his own ideas. "I did this, how amazing I am!" Such subtext does not exist in Einstein. He sometimes praises his research results, but his tone is like that of a child who finds a treasure by accident.
Einstein dared to say "I don't know this" in front of the students. He seldom makes mistakes in his lectures and writing. Once he makes mistakes, he humbly admits his mistakes and corrects them immediately.
In the context of his "trivial whispers turned into loud trumpet solos", he said: "I never thought that what I said casually would be grabbed and recorded, otherwise I would have gone deeper into my shell."
Perseverance is also one of Einstein's excellent qualities. In order to establish special relativity, general relativity and unified field theory, he used 10, 8 and 40 years respectively. Imagine, can you do it without a rock-solid will, unswerving perseverance and perseverance? Perseverance comes from selfless dedication to the cause, that is to say, you must devote yourself wholeheartedly to achieve truly first-class performance. You can't succeed if you are consistent in spirit, nor can you fish for three days and dry the net for two days. Einstein knew this well. 1938, he wrote the following award-winning message to the great music conductor toscanini:
"Only those who devote themselves to their own career can hope to become a veritable master, so the superb ability of the master requires all efforts."
Perhaps it is for this reason that he is deeply dissatisfied or disgusted with the pressure of demanding results, the behavior of quitting despite difficulties and the fierce promotion competition.
Einstein always insisted: "Good character and strong will are more important than cleverness and erudition. Wisdom does not come from academic qualifications, but from the lifelong unremitting pursuit of knowledge. " He also knows: "if a person is not satisfied with knowing only some superficial phenomena, but wants to explore deeply, the work will be very hard." But he bravely overcame difficulties, constructed new tentative theories with amazing perseverance, and unselfishly overthrew them with amazing endurance in order to find a more suitable field equation.
Humor is perhaps the most interesting and attractive feature of Einstein's personality and character. He satirized and criticized the times with satirical humor, just like Mozart's sonata, expressing the tragic world with laughter is a kind of sincerity with a sense of humor. He also treated the arguments of quantum mechanics with self-deprecating humor, which not only insisted on his own position seriously, but also diluted the ignorance and ridicule from the outside world. He can also resolve contradictions and conflicts with clever and easy humor.
The sense of humor also fully embodies patriotic Stan's approachable and approachable personality, and even smacks of "teasing you" and mischief. In this way, the distance between people and him has suddenly narrowed-he is no longer regarded as an unattainable great man with a straight face, but an ordinary person that everyone can approach and contact-a kind-hearted old man or a naughty boy.
Einstein's personality, humanity and moral quality, like his scientific theory and philosophical thought, are also a valuable cultural heritage and priceless spiritual wealth. Einstein's image is lofty and magnificent, which often makes people sigh, "Mountain, how I long to reach you, you just want to be pure"; Einstein's image is approachable, which also makes people feel that "water is my friend and bamboo is my teacher." Einstein's profound thoughts can not be fully understood and deeply understood by everyone, but his lofty integrity can be sincerely studied and deliberately imitated by everyone. We have reason to believe that even if only a small part of Einstein's moral strength and enthusiasm blossom among the world intellectuals, the human world in the 2 1 century will face a brighter future.