Headmaster’s Reflection

Einstein is known for his theory of relativity but as well as being a mathematical genius he was also very insightful and something of a philosopher.  There are many interesting quotes which you can find on the internet but here are two of my favourites.  The first is almost prophetic considering it is a quote from the 1950’s.

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

Perhaps at the end of World War 2 the way in which technology had enabled such horrific warfare was playing on his mind. In a modern day context, problems with social networking addiction and cyber-bullying and artificial intelligence replacing human activities and even our jobs, could also fit nicely with this quote.

But another quote which I like and one which fits well with our growth mindset approach to education is the following:

“It is not that I am so smart it is just that I stay with problems longer.”

This is great humility from a genius but the point is relevant for us all.  We mustn’t give up when things get tough, but keep on trying until we get there.  If one of the greatest minds that has ever lived could struggle with problems in order to find solutions then how much more must we encourage our children not to give up but to keep on, keeping on until they succeed.