Did Albert Einstein really say "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”?

@TheHorse (220127)
Walnut Creek, California
December 18, 2024 2:58pm CST
Do you trust "wise quotations" that you read on the internet or see on bumper stickers? I do not. But I do believe that most of these quotations have their basis in truth. Mark Twain never did say, "The coldest Winter I ever spent was Summer in San Francisco." But he did say several things that could be well summarized by such a quotation. I had the "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds” poster on my wall in my younger days. My 20s. It appears that Einstein really did say this in a letter to a friend in 1940. Do you believe quotations are from the source cited when you hear them? Or do you do "a bit of research"?
8 people like this
3 responses
much2say
@much2say (55912)
• Los Angeles, California
4h
I'll read quotations and then decide for myself if I think they are valid - regardless who said it. But if it's really good, I might research the source - it'd be good to know especially if I were going to repeat it to someone else.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (220127)
• Walnut Creek, California
44m
Yeah, I may have repeated the Twain quotation before I learned it was not really what he said.
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (80659)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7h
Sometimes I belive depending on the quotation and other times I check, Among my favorites by Einstein is this one “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (220127)
• Walnut Creek, California
44m
Heh. That's a good one.
BarBaraPrz
@BarBaraPrz (47634)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
7h
Depends on what's being quoted. I usually take them at face value.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (220127)
• Walnut Creek, California
47m
Hmm. What does face value mean to you?