The Enigma that was Albert Einstein

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was one of the most enigmatic geniuses in history.  He unraveled mysteries in the universe that had long baffled scientists before him. His work on the "Special Theory of Relativity" which is popularly expressed in the formula e=mc2 had plucked him from obscurity and catapulted him to great fame and fortune. But this genius' private life is, in itself, a source of great mystery.  Who really is Albert Einstein?

Born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany to an entrepreneur-engineer father and a loving mother, young Einstein's life was uneventful. He was so slow to learn to talk that his parents actually thought that he was abnormal. As a child, he was a loner, sang religious hymns and prefer his own company. He did not show indications of the genius that would much typify his later life. Except for the fact that Einstein’s idea of fun was to build models and mechanical devices.  He also had a deep passion for science and mathematics.

Being extremely intuitive, he was prone to introversion. His idea of fun was not to play outside with the other kids but to create mechanical devices.  This kind of early childhood experience set the tone of Einstein’s pursuits and character for the rest of his life. Even when he became highly successful already, Einstein still preferred to be on his own. His innate love for science and math must had come from his father, who was an inventor himself. His father started a company together with his uncle that manufactured equipment based on direct current.

In 1889, Max Talmud (later known as Max Talmey) taught a ten-year old Einstein the subjects of science, mathematics and philosophy.  Talmud was a Polish student who was also a Jew, like Einstein.  The Jewish community asked the Einsteins to provide meals to Talmud every Thursdays for 6 years. When Talmud visited the Einsteins, he would help young Albert develop his various educational interests.

Albert Einstein was not well-rounded in school. At twelve, he studied math and science on his own. He was a genius when it came to math and physics but he did not fare well in languages.  At 16, he failed the entrance exam of a polytechnic college in Zurich, Switzerland. But did remarkably well in physics and mathematics.

Two years after graduation, Einstein was struggling financially. He married a science student, Mileva Marec.  At twenty-three he clinched a job as patent examiner in Bern. Since the job was not too demanding, he focused on his own studies of linking time and space, matter and energy.  Einstein was able to grasp the invisible laws of nature because of his innate intuitiveness.  That is why he can see the whole picture without losing grasp of the details. One day before he found the correct answers, he said to his fellow worker that he wanted to give it up.

In 1905, at twenty-six, he forwarded his “Special Theory of Relativity” to a physics journal. The answer was contained in the equation: E=mc2.  For this singular achievement, Einstein attained the title “Father of Modern Physics”.  He became a leading scientist in 1908 for his various scientific works and contributions. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

Aside from this stellar scientific contribution, Einstein was also the only American ever offered the presidency of another country- Israel.  There was so much hype surrounding the man whose only request in life was to be left alone so he could have time to think and work.  He did admit, however, that his only guilty pleasure was to feel appreciated by his co workers.

The most surprising thing that people would probably find about Albert Einstein was he was a person of deep, religious faith. Being a rational scientist, faith does not seem to coincide with his nature. This, however, is a gross mistake. As a matter of fact, Einstein was a firm believer of God. He credited much of his scientific accomplishments to his enduring faith in God saying that "It is a kind of faith that helped me through my whole life not to become hopeless in the great difficulties of investigation."  He patiently waited for enlightenment little by little until the universe opened up to him, "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice" and that "God is subtle but he is not malicious."  He believed God did not create Nature in random but in perfect order.

Despite his huge success and great achievements, he remained humble and reticent. When people applauded him when he walked into a room, he would say, "I think they ought to wait to hear what I say."  Even at the height of his success, Einstein was a loner. He did not belong to any social group.  This was not because of the demands of his work but the nature of the man. He was innately reticent who preferred his own company.

Albert Einstein was an introvert who was very open to the experience of learning particularly math and science.  He was a conscientious worker who wanted to leave no stone unturned in his scientific investigations. Being a largely a creative scientist, Einstein employed his mind on a continual, daily basis.  His perceptions of things and his way of thinking allowed him to grasp truths which most of us cannot fathom. His immense success stemmed from his scientific mind coupled with his highly intuitive nature.