Without the sense of fellowship with men of like mind... life would have seemed to me empty.

The world as we see it is only the world as we see it. Others may see it differently.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.

Why do people speak of great men in terms of nationality? Great Germans, great Englishmen? Goethe always protested against being called a German poet. Great men are simply men and are not to be considered from the point of view of nationality, nor should the environment in which they were brought up be taken into account.

Why is it I always get my best ideas while shaving?

Most people see what is, and never see what can be.

The work on satisfactory formulation of technical patents was a true blessing for me. It compelled me to be many-sided in thought, and also offered important stimulation for thought about physics. Following a practical profession is a blessing for people of my type. Because the academic career puts a young person in a sort of compulsory situation to produce scientific papers in impressive quantity, a temptation to superficiality arises that only strong characters are able to resist.