Einstein’s wit, our woes

By Herman M. Lagon

Albert Einstein once said, “Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” That this joke is highly available on the internet is not surprising. It resonates too hard in observing some of our societal tendencies. From blind political allegiance to where success is more esteemed than learning itself, the various manifestations of this ‘limitless’ stupidity are both amusing and frightening.

Take the psychology of political fandom. In our backyard, politicians are treated in the same manner as popular stars. Campaign rallies are concert-like, with merchandise, budots, jackets, and fanfare. Such cult-like devotion tends to blind the followers to the shortcomings and indiscretions of their idol leaders. The result is the political landscape with charisma and not competence to be the norm, and popularity and not policy.

Einstein also joked, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” Perhaps he was referring to the complexity of taxes, but this was consistent with the crisis of many of our brethren in distinguishing fact-based information from lies. The digital world, in democratizing access to information, has also allowed fake news to spread. Without analytical minds, many are easily manipulated by sensational click-baits, troll-made headlines, and twisted stories, and make judgments based on falsehoods.

In learning, Einstein’s observation that “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school” is particularly astute. Our education system is prone to emphasize memorization and obtaining Latin honors. These are to be celebrated, yet sometimes they have the tendency to conceal the necessity of practical application and creative problem-solving. These graduates would have excellent transcripts but not be able to handle the practical basics and other challenges of daily life.

This divide between application and education is observed in the workplace. Companies complain frequently about newly recruits with poor problem-solving, communication, creative, and leadership skills. Even though they have received years of education, they are not capable of performing tasks that require analysis, elasticity, or grit against adversity. This lack indicates reorienting educational emphases away from grades and in favor of cultivating flexible, analytical minds, hearts, and dispositions.

Einstein’s witty saying, “If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut,” is a witty but insightful equation. In our context, the ‘z’ side—illustrated by discretion—is more likely to present itself in the form of apathy. Silence is more desirable than confrontation, especially in the face of societal evils. This avoidance to speak out perpetuates systemic failure or complicity, from graft to injustice.

Our problem of chronic corruption increases in the absence of accountability. Einstein claimed, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” Such inactivity is why malpractices are not reversed but continued. When the citizens are more interested in personal gain than in the well-being of all, looking the other way to corruption is more the norm than the exception.

The fixation on images and honors exacerbates societal ills. Einstein’s maxim of “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value” rebuts this. Success in our society is mainly linked with concrete things—trophy awards, certificates, rankings, and titles. But in the acts of enriching communities and making them better, though they are not rewarded by the outside world, lies the true meaning of success.

In addition to that, complacency about complaining with minimal follow-through is commonplace. Social media is replete with complaints about government inefficiency with no civic activism. Einstein’s maxim that “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” stands ready to remind us that the time to progress is in difficulty, not in complaining. Participate in community projects, volunteer with local government, and get educated are ways to transform grouses into resolution.

The allure of authoritarian domination, justified by the promises of order, ‘swift justice,’ and progress, is the preference of simplicity over complexity. Einstein warned, “Unthinking respect of authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” When citizens opt for unbridled obedience instead of rational critique, they risk perpetuating the types of government that destroy freedom and perpetuate injustice. A living democracy requires active, educated participation and not compliance.

To solve the multi-faceted crisis—education, healthcare, moral, food security, national debt—that besets our nation, all of us need to undergo collectively a mindset shift. Einstein’s is the belief that “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” To be able to embrace change is to challenge entrenched assumptions, to question tradition, and to embrace new insights. It requires the recognition of weaknesses in the systems in place and collaborative pushing towards bettering them.

In essence, Einstein’s witty sayings, as written in another era, remain highly relevant. Through them, societal norms that are in the way of progress are mirrored. With these in our heads and bringing them back to our context, hope is in a more enlightened, proactive, and resurgent society. And as Einstein himself best summarized, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a ‘student of and for life’ who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world that is grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views herewith do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.