Quote Of The Day By Albert Einstein: 'A Calm And Modest Life Brings More Happiness Than The Pursuit Of...'

Albert Einstein was one of the world's greatest thinkers, having made groundbreaking discoveries in theoretical physics. Einstein fundamentally changed the way that we see the world with regards to time, space, and gravity, and his name has become practically synonymous with genius. Einstein was born in Germany on March 14, 1879, which is also "Pi Day." He studied in Switzerland, and when he couldn't get a job teaching after graduation, Einstein started working in the Swiss Patent Office to help determine the validity of various mechanical patents. While working that job, Einstein developed some of his most legendary theories, including the famous equation E=mc² (energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). 

Einstein eventually went on to work as a professor at the University of Zurich, followed by the University of Berlin, where he published the general theory of relativity. In the early 1930s, Einstein emigrated to America due to Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany. He even renounced his German citizenship and became a bonafide American citizen. After relocating, Einstein found a teaching position at Princeton, where he worked until his death in 1955, at the age of 76.

Einstein was deeply curious about the world and how it worked. Along with science, he also saw a lot of value in considering philosophy. Einstein viewed science and philosophy as integral elements of the larger picture of how the world works. Given his unmatched intellect and unquestionably impressive life, it's no surprise that Einstein was chosen as our quote of the day.

"A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness." These words of advice from Albert Einstein were delivered to a Tokyo hotel bellboy via a handwritten note in 1922, per NPR. The legendary thinker had just found out that he'd received the Nobel Prize in Physics before his trip to Japan, and he didn't have any money to tip the courier who came to the door. Einstein advised him to keep the note as it might be worth something someday. 

Indeed, the piece of paper ultimately sold for a whopping $1.56 million at auction in 2017. Not only did it turn out to be literally valuable for the bellboy's family but the note is also a good insight into how to live. Even though it was written over 100 years ago, the sentiment about finding happiness still rings true. Focusing on always trying to get more and blindly chasing your ambitions isn't going to make you happy.

Clearly, Albert Einstein didn't just know about physics; he also had some valuable insights into how to live life well. If you're looking to be really happy, you shouldn't assume that chasing increasingly higher amounts of success will get you there. Having more money isn't actually going to be what makes you happy. Instead, you should appreciate and cultivate a life where things are more grounded and relaxed. That isn't to say that you shouldn't be ambitious or work for lofty goals, though. 

Rather, you have to realize that you may end up sacrificing some happiness if you're focused entirely on getting and doing more and more all the time. Essentially, Einstein is promoting the idea of a good work-life balance. It can be easy to get caught up in trying to prove yourself at work and with your career successes, but that can mean not having the time or energy to pursue other things outside of it. So if happiness is what you want from life, skip getting sucked into the race of working endlessly.

• "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day."
• "As long as I have any choice in the matter, I will live only in a country where civil liberty, tolerance and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule."
• "Falling in love is by no means the most foolish thing mankind does — but gravitation cannot be held responsible for that."
• "The mind can proceed only so far upon what it knows and can prove. There comes a point where the mind takes a leap — call it intuition or what you will — and comes out upon a higher plane of knowledge, but can never prove how it got there. All great discoveries have involved such a leap."
• "If A is success in life, I should say the rule for success may be expressed in the formula A=X+Y+Z, X being work and Y play. [Z] is keeping your mouth shut."