Inheriting Genius

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones” – Albert Einstein

I have had a deep admiration and respect for the genius of Albert Einstein since I was a small child. At first, it was just because I was always regarded as an exceptionally intelligent child and I was a little bit ostracized because of it. So I kind of identified with the weird old genius persona.

But in my adolescence, having learned considerably more about him, I grew to respect him even more. Eventually I began to regard him as the most intelligent of all the famous geniuses of history, but not for the same reasons that most people who held that belief did.

I regarded Einstein as the most intelligent genius of his time specifically because he chose to be incorrect in his research and calculations regarding nuclear fission. According to sources close to him, he knew that nuclear fission was not only possible, but absolutely feasible within Earth’s atmosphere and with the technology available at the time, but he declared that it wasn’t, that it would never work. And this quote is his reason why.

This quote came after a series of events that etched Oppenheimer’s name into the history books. It could have easily been Einstein’s glory, years prior, and Oppenheimer would never have been a name anyone even remembered, much less accredited. But he chose humanity above immortality. He understood that no government on the planet was worthy to carry the responsibility that comes with wielding such a potentially destructive power. He knew what they would do with it. Time proved him right.

I sometimes wonder what Albert Einstein would say about these choices being a hidden catalyst for the deconstruction of a boy who was born decades after he was already gone. One the boy would not even recognize until decades after his exposure to it. I wonder if he’d be proud that his defiance to empower murderers inspired a single child to act accordingly; to be, not just unwilling, but absolutely incapable of following evil orders.

I hope that he would be proudest of that accomplishment above all others. Because that child is me, and I can think of no accomplishment in my life that would be as profound as inspiring even a single child to grow out of bigotry, hate, and the desperation for violence those things bring with them.

Photo by Engin Akyurt