A Quimsical Librarian Look...

The life of giants who contribute not only to the pool of scientific knowledge, but whose moral standing is singularly exemplary are intriguing.  Einstein is one such character, and I thought it high time that I started reading a comprehensive book on his life.  I therefore checked out Einstein, A Hundred Years of Relativity from the local library.  While scanning the book's barcode, the librarian looked at me, down to the book, back up at me, and which a very quimsical look said, "You like Einstein?".  I felt like he was waiting for me to give an explanation, so I replied, "It has a lot of pictures" (which in fact, it does!  It documents Einstein from his birth to his death, and is replete with pictures of him during different stages of his life).

In his Autobiographical Notes, Einstein recounted some of his musings on his journey through developing his mind and his academic philosophy.  He discusses the first time he encountered skepticism, at the remarkably tender age of twelve.  The affect of skepticism on Einstein's thinking was meekly familiar to me, albeit my development of skepticism came later in life, during my college years. 

Through extensive academic study and an exposure to the theories, I was a bit smug in my accumulation of thoughts and their application.  It was easy to apply my well-loved and carefully groomed thoughts to everyday experiences- why a road over a bridge is bumpy; the hockey-stick of global warming; variation in the size of raindrops and their motion in the wind; the affects of putting ice on a sidewalk.  I had a million little compartments from which I could pull at any moment, and which would pop out of my mouth at the smallest calling. It was a joy, and in a way, a constant companion.  I could go for a walk and my thoughts would overflow, keeping me warmly in the most interesting of company.  Over time, and with further education, I learned what every true academic must learn- that intellect, theories, and intelligence is never compartmentalized.  Application of learning applies to every aspect of life, which by consequence extends to every form of thought or intelligence.  In some cases, skepticism can be the bridge that connects thought to thought, and if traveled in high enough frequency, it's route is increasingly less treacherous.  Intelligence does not exist independent of other intelligence, and we must dare to plunge from one pool to the next.  This type of reckless abandonment of certain principles, based on skepticism with long-held beliefs, was the birthing place of quantum mechanics, for example.

I take this medium, here, to place a word of caution to the intellectual skepticism which all must inevitable encounter in some form or another.  On the topic of religion, and in particular my religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we must never apply extended destructive skepticism to the teachings of modern-day prophets nor in complying with the commandments of Jesus Christ.  Skepticism is a necessary tool to receive revelation, but when revelation is received it is to be followed.  If revelation has been received as to the verity of a commandment or principle, it must be applied in ones life. Therefore, skepticism can hatch a firmness of righteousness. When knowledge of correctness is received, t is to be followed.

Enough of my dialogue, next are some of Einstein's words that I enjoyed.  Keep the wonder alive!

...For me it is not dubious that our thinking goes on for the most part without use of signs (words) and beyond that to a  considerable degree unconsciously.  For how, otherwise, should it happen that sometimes we 'wonder' quite spontaneously about some experience?  This 'wondering' seems to occur when an experiment comes into conflict with a world of concepts which is already sufficiently fixed in us.  Whenever such a conflict is experienced hard and intensively it reacts back upon our though would in a decisive way.  The development of this thought world is in a certain sense a continuous flight from 'wonder.' (Einstein, Autobiographical Notes, (1949) translated form the original German manuscript bu Paul Arthur Schilpp)