Einstein And Human Compassion, A Message For Life
In 1950, Albert Einstein wrote a letter full of symbolism, human compassion and depth to encourage a father who had just lost his young son to polio. Two decades later, the New York Times will publish this same text with great success , unknowingly giving us a formula for survival and hope.
The first thing that catches our attention is a very particular vision of philosophy. We cannot call it religion, but we can call it a kind of cosmic spirituality, a feeling of transcendence.
The pain of loss can be alleviated, according to the father of the theory of relativity, if we integrate the idea that each of us is part of a whole. What we think we are gone actually stays with us, in every fragment of our being.
Five years after writing this letter, Albert Einstein died of an aneurysm. Almost without realizing it, to his immense legacy for science and especially in the field of physics, he added this unique gift which began to circulate with more force with the Internet and social networks. His message is now more relevant than ever …
Einstein and his words on human compassion
Sometimes we forget that Albert Einstein was more than his outstanding scientific achievements. He was a violinist, a humanist, a person attached to social values.
He was also an admirable teacher and a loyal friend who always looked after his closest circle and did his best. This is reflected in all of his letters and documents kept at Princeton University.
Among his long correspondence, we find exchanges with Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, Thomas Mann, George Bernard Shaw, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer… Among this ocean of lines, we discover that Albert Einstein was, above all, a great support in times of suffering.
There is an example of this in the letter he sent to the Queen of Belgium. Elizabeth of Bavaria and Albert Einstein had a close friendship and a common passion: music.
In 1934, her husband died while practicing mountaineering and this tragedy devastated her. The father of the theory of relativity found the right words to comfort her and give her strength.
He did the same with Robert S. Marcus, a faithful and dear friend who, in 1950, suffered the loss of his son. In this letter, he highlights a central concept that sets them apart from others: human compassion was for Einstein a saving mechanism and a means of finding meaning in life.
A text full of symbolism
If there is anything really difficult, it is to awaken hope in those who have lost the most precious thing. In these cases, “I’m sorry” or “his memory will always be in your heart” is of little use.
What Albert Einstein tried with this text is to invite MS Marcus to see beyond his own pain. He invited him to look up and feel that each of us is a whole.
The anguish and harshness of the loss must not envelop us in eternal suffering. We must transcend this state and awaken compassion, love and affection for all around us …
Human compassion, the formula that gives meaning to life
Albert Einstein alluded to something we must remember: we do not exist separately. Individualism has no meaning or purpose in an interdependent world, in a universe where we are all part of a whole. Human compassion is the vehicle that allows us to transcend, to go beyond ourselves.
Genuine humanity goes beyond religions, ideologies, selfishness, fears and prejudices. Note that Albert Einstein was not the only one to approach human compassion from an almost cosmic perspective.
Carl Sagan also reminded us in one of his books that compassion, combined with our intelligence and technology, can enable us to create meaningful life that is respectful of the planet and thus touch the stars. Let us keep in mind the words of these two unforgettable characters from the world of physics and astronomy.
Our thoughts We are talking to you here about the ancestral trauma silenced. This trauma can appear as a result of family secrets.
