Sunday Snippet: Albert Einstein (Again)
August 14th, 2011 by Michael Kwan
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Yes, Albert Einstein had another great quote that I showcased a couple of years ago, but this one offers an entirely different perspective. We seek out to learn new things and achieve new accomplishments, but we also have to recognize that we have innate predispositions and it is perhaps best to embrace who we are rather than who society tells us we should be.
You could try to go against your nature, but you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Climbing a tree isn’t really the kind of thing that a fish should do. Instead, it makes more sense to focus on your strengths, as this gives you the opportunity to achieve excellence. Hone your craft, take advantage of your pre-existing inclinations, and you can really be and so something special… right?
Well, maybe Albert didn’t have it all right there. While we may not necessarily want to conform to society’s expectations of us, we may also be inclined to break our own predispositions. After all, if that first brave fish didn’t attempt to walk upon that shore, I wouldn’t be here typing this sentence.
Tags: genius, memorable quotes, perspective
Filed under Personal Development.
Ah, everyone is an expert in their own way. Some Geniuses couldn’t fight their way out of a common sense paper bag, while others can come up with a great on the spot decision.
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
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