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It's hard to reconcile the popular folk hero that is Einstein with a letter like this. I suspect a lot of this may come from us not being in a position to judg
by davesmylie 14y ago
It's hard to reconcile the popular folk hero that is Einstein with a letter like this.
I suspect a lot of this may come from us not being in a position to judge people from almost 100 years by the standards of today.
- scarmig 14y agoI suspect that even a century ago that list of demands would have been seen as very cold and mean.
- refurb 14y agoWe don't really know the back story is I guess. I could see if their relationship had completely fallen apart by this point, but that they both wanted to stay together even though they were no longer in love, that a couple could come up with ground rules like this. Who knows what her list of demands for him were?
- PeterisP 14y agoThese aren't 'prenup' demands, these are no-love separation demands. What points exactly feel mean to you? Requests for lack of intimacy are understandable, given the no love situation. It is strange that the household chores are described - at the time it would be 100% understood that it would be so even if it wasn't written down; apparently it was a problem in their past. I mean, at that time and place, wife not cooking for you would be reasonable grounds for divorce. The "no belittling before our children" is natural as well.
- romnempire 14y agoi mean, i don't see what's wrong with it, even by today's standards. she probably didn't work, so it's practically just a relaxed maid contract. i mean, hiring a woman you shared kids with solely as your maid would be weird by today's standards, but bigoted? don't see it.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- pfortuny 14y agoYeah there was a previous agreement called marriage before which puts that list in a very specific context: it is not a "contractor" relationship.
- callmeed 14y agoWhat's to reconcile? You will find character flaws and chronic bad judgement in the most successful/accomplished people–it will just be in some other area than what they're known for. John Calvin had a man burned at the stake. Henry Ford was an anti-semite. 8 of the first 10 US presidents owned slaves. And, no, I don't think it's a matter of shifting standards. Look at Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, etc.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoConsidering Einstein didn't kill anyone...he did OK. No one is a saint (except for maybe a saint, but then I've heard crazy things about Mother Teresa also).
- philwelch 14y agoEinstein didn't directly kill anyone, but he did sign a letter to President Roosevelt urging him to fund research into nuclear weapons.
- tadfisher 14y agoI think this is a rational thing to do -- after all, he was fearful of what would happen should the Germans have completed their nuclear program first.
- philwelch 14y agoSure, but there's a big moral weight on using your fame and influence to get your government to built atomic bombs. Though this was before the advent of strategic bombing, so I'm not sure how obvious it was to Einstein exactly how such a weapon would ever be used.
- mylittlepony 14y agoYeah, he only helped to build the most destructive weapon ever.
- ekianjo 14y agoMaybe I am missing something but since when was Einstein considered as a "popular folk hero" ? I have never heard of him portrayed as anything but a renowned scientist (with controversial political views).
- victorhn 14y agoYou must live in another world, as Einstein is maybe the most popular scientist/genius in any part of the world.
- ekianjo 14y agoI do not question the popularity of Einstein, I just wonder why the term "hero" is applied to him in the parent post. Why would Einstein be considered a "hero" compared to other scientists ?
- peterarmstrong 14y agoHis hair. Seriously.
- waterlesscloud 14y agoAnd his eyes. And that one equation that's easy to remember and sort of understand vaguely.