What made Einstein the greatest physicist of our time?
Contrary to what you may think, he was not particularly strong in mathematics. He did not have access to powerful research equipment. He wasn’t even a known figure within the scientific community. Despite this, he posed some of the most groundbreaking set of theories that completely upended our understanding of the universe.
What’s even more remarkable is that during the period in which he published is most celebrated work, including his Theory of Special Relativity and the most famous equation in the world (E=mc2), Einstein had no backing from the establishment.
To put it mildly, he was not respected as a scientist, and faced an extended period of unemployment before eventually settling for a job far below his pay grade as a patent office clerk.
But it was during this job which exposed him to many creative ideas and provided him with plenty of idle time to contemplate.
It was this experience on the peripheries of science that positioned him to explore the possibilities of alternative realities.
Einstein was not just any physicist. He was a theoretical physicist, meaning he leveraged “thought experimentation” which entailed using his imagination to conceive of realities that did not yet exist. His work required possessing a willingness to accept the absurdities of a universe that defied all logic.
I’m talking about the kind of absurdities that induce nauseating levels of cognitive dissonance.
In addition to being a theoretical physicist, Einstein also took an interest in philosophy as well as playing the violin, both also outlets for creativity and non-conformity.
I would argue that THIS is what created the genius of Einstein, rather than simply being born with intelligence. Between analyzing unique inventions in a patent office and reading publications by philosophers such as Earnst Mach, who flatly rejected generally accepted “absolutes” of nature and introduced concepts of relativity, Einstein was heavily influenced by ideas that inspired him to view the world very differently.
In other words, Einstein wasn’t just born a genius. He earned the title largely because he was not subject to the intellectual trappings of the established scientific community, and didn’t succumb to the hubris and groupthink that left the standard bearers of the industry struggling to advance their understanding of the universe.
By stepping outside of the commonly held consensus and leveraging his philosophical mind, Einstein began asking questions like “what would happen if he could travel faster than light?” or “why can’t a person in freefall feel gravity?”
His exploration of the answers to these questions led him to multiple paradigm-shifting publications in a single year as a lowly 20-something year old patent office clerk.
His publications went largely ignored for another 15 years or so before he won the Nobel Prize and began to be taken seriously as a scientist.
The rest is history.
So how does this relate to our lives today?
I think this is a perfect example of the dichotomy between formal and informal education; between being firmly entrenched in the mainstream thought bubble and exploring the frontier of new ideas.
We live in a world where formal education matters a lot. In a way, a person’s level of education pre-qualifies them. It signals to the world that they are “intelligent” and have met a certain threshold of generally accepted understanding.
A person who meets these thresholds will generally reap the rewards of social stratification along the lines of education. These rewards usually translate to more job opportunities, higher income, more status and respect, greater business opportunities, better dating prospects, etc.
When our existing set of beliefs and understanding has gotten us respect, accolades, and a comfortable quality of life, then there is less incentive to consider ideas that exist outside of the framework that has garnered so much success.
Our social circles become self-reinforcing echo chambers which further cement the notions that elevated us into these positions of success, status, etc.
In other words, when a system benefits a certain group of people, that group of people becomes more likely to double down in their viewpoints with the highest level of conviction – making the more susceptible to becoming victims of their own hubris and overconfidence.
Why do I think this?
Well in my experience, when conversing with many of my peers, new ideas and perspectives that stand on the periphery of generally accepted “truths” are frequently and swiftly met with dismissiveness without proper consideration.
Whether challenging the merits of today’s global monetary system, or objecting to the standard dietary and health guidance, or questioning the notion of the American Dream and the consumerism it drives, I have witnessed first-hand the outright refusal to consider alternative schools of thought.
What I’m not suggesting is entertaining any and all ideas, particularly those that don’t stand up to scrutiny. Rather, I am suggesting that one should be cautious not to fall into the “education trap” and believe that they already have full command of complex subjects just because the formalized power structures say they do.
One stands to benefit by considering the plausibility of generally accepted notions being wrong or misguided, despite the absoluteness of understanding we believe we have in said topics.
Genius depends, in large part, on one’s willingness to step outside of conventionally accepted truths. It requires a healthy skepticism of realities that we “know” to be true.
The most potent lessons are learned outside of the formal institutions that enshrine conventional wisdom into our understanding of the world.
Years of studying a foreign language will never prepare a person to understand the intricacies of colloquial slang and dialects, as native speech almost always breaks the conventionally accepted rules of the language. One must let go of formalized preconceptions so they can develop a newer, more accurate understanding of the language.
In my case, the areas in my life where I maintained a strong level of conviction in generally accepted conventions were the areas where I struggled to grow. Despite my formal education in engineering and business, my greatest sources of personal growth have come during times when I let go of the conventional wisdom and opened my mind to new realities.
As an engineer, my worldview has traditionally been deeply rooted in pragmatism, logic, and science. I once scoffed at the notion of explaining the matters of our world through things like art, poetry, and mindfulness. However, after I stopped being dismissive of explanations that didn’t conform to logic and reason, I was able to develop a more comprehensive view on life, particularly in my approach to health and wellness.
As a business professional and investor, I stuck to hard facts and numbers to make sense of my personal finances. However, it was only after I let go of the mathematical equations, and considered the notion of money being a physical manifestation of the human psychology, when I was able to change to an investment strategy that opened the door to a higher degree of financial freedom.
What is the moral of the story here?
It is important for anyone, and especially those who are among the upper rungs of the education ladder, to remain lifelong students.
In areas where you believe you have above average understanding, occasionally put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows nothing about that topic and seek information on said topic from a new perspective. This information may confirm your original ideas, or may cause you to recalibrate.
I also find it beneficial to be a beginner in a new domain of knowledge or skill in which your understanding is negligible. This serves as a humbling reminder to the ego that despite your credentials and accolades, you always remain a novice in some other area of life.
This reminder keeps your mind from closing off to new information and ideas, as your only course for advancement is through first acknowledging that you know nothing at all, thus programming your mind to be more receptive.
A mind that is programmed to be more receptive not only enables new knowledge in previously unfamiliar domains, but also opens the door to continual growth in one’s area of expertise.
I believe it is important to explore creative pursuits that force you to navigate the abstractness of the world; pursuits in which there are no absolutes. These pursuits will make challenging the status quo a regular part of your life and are likely to set the groundwork for the next paradigm-shifting breakthrough that will revolutionize your life, and possibly even the world.
They set the groundwork for you to unlock the genius within.