Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen [Einstein #QuoteNote24]

Here is the quote I would like to introduce today!

Prejudice is often thought of as a bad thing, but by re-examining prejudice from the perspective of common sense, this quote gives us an insight that allows us to face what prejudice really is in a neutral way.

Who said it

Albert Einstein
(Albert Einstein)

What kind of person?

Einstein was a physicist representing the 20th century and is known worldwide as the proposer of the theory of relativity. The photo of him sticking his tongue out is famous, isn't it?

Characteristics and Achievements

Einstein not only left behind revolutionary achievements in the field of physics, but he also continues to influence many people with his unique personality and contributions to peace. His photo with his tongue out is widely known as the image of a genius scientist.

Personal Profile

• German-born Jew

• Graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

• Introverted and was slow to speak in his childhood

• Curious and showed a strong interest in natural science and mathematics from a young age

• Disliked existing authority and militaristic atmospheres

• Gentle and humorous personality

• Loved music and played the violin

• A pacifist who advocated for the abolition of nuclear weapons

Major Achievements

• Special Theory of Relativity (1905): Proposed that time and space are not absolute, but change relatively depending on the observer's state of motion. The famous E=mc^2 equation was also derived from this.

• Light Quantum Hypothesis (1905): Proposed that light has the properties not only of waves but also of particles of energy (photons). This achievement led to him receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

• Theory of Brownian Motion (1905): Theoretically explained the irregular motion of particles in liquids and gases, providing important evidence supporting the existence of atoms and molecules.

• General Theory of Relativity (1916): A new theory that views gravity as the curvature of space and time. It predicted phenomena such as the bending of light by gravity and the existence of gravitational waves.

Summary

In this post, I introduced a quote from the 20th-century genius physicist, Albert Einstein!

Einstein was born in the city of Ulm in southern Germany. Although he was born in Germany, he was Jewish. (He was born and raised in an Ashkenazi Jewish family.)

Furthermore, the era in which Einstein lived was right in the middle of World War II in the 20th century. He was a Jew born in Germany.

When you consider that he was a German-born Jew during World War II, it is not hard to imagine how difficult his life must have been. In fact, due to the rise of the Nazis and the intensification of persecution against Jews, Einstein fled to the United States in 1933. Throughout his life, he remained aware of his Jewish roots.

Knowing that Einstein, who was driven to the point of having to flee his homeland of Germany because he was subjected to the prejudice that 'Jews are evil,' left us with the quote I introduced today, doesn't the weight of his words feel even more profound?

At first glance, when someone says, 'Common sense is nothing more than a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen,' one might interpret it as a message saying, 'Well, I guess it's inevitable that everyone has their own prejudices. Since we can't understand each other, we just have to find a way to compromise and get along.'

However, I do not get a negative impression from Einstein's words.

I believe Einstein was trying to convey that, 'Because common sense is nothing more than a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen, adults can overcome their prejudices depending on how they think!'

In the first place, the most important thing when dealing with prejudice is to realize that 'I have prejudices.'

However, even if someone were to tell you, 'You have prejudices, so you must flexibly change your way of thinking,' I think most people would reply, 'No, no, I don't have any prejudices. I am fair to everyone and everything.'

But as Einstein says, prejudice is actually a very common thing, and for better or worse, everyone has it. In fact, it is impossible for humans, who are social creatures, not to have prejudices.

Nevertheless, you should be aware of the prejudices you hold. This is because speaking or acting without being aware of your prejudices is highly likely to hurt others, and there is no benefit to either the other person or yourself.

When we think about what prejudice is, our eyes tend to turn toward big problems like discrimination or conflicts between races.

However, if we think of it as a 'collection of perceptions and ways of thinking acquired by age eighteen' that everyone actually has, we can change our perspective on how to deal with prejudice.

One of Einstein's representative achievements is the establishment of the theory of relativity. I believe it is precisely because he was able to strip away prejudices regarding "time" and "space" that he was able to reach such a level.

In this way, the quote "Common sense is nothing more than a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen" is like a North Star, reminding us that everyone holds prejudices.

It is a quote I want to remember when I am lost in life.

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