Albert Einstein tells his son that the key to learning and happiness is to get lost in creativity (or “find the flow”)

by Finn Patraic

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Like a Particularly clever observer Human emotions could say, it is a universally recognized truth that we cannot all be Albert Einstein. In fact, none of us can. This unique experience was even refused the son of Einstein Hans AlbertAlthough he has pursued his own distinguished career as an engineer and hydraulic teacher. The father and son of Einstein had a tense relationship, but the great physicist contributed to the success of his son, inspiring him to continue his scientific passion. But Einstein's paternal encouragement has extended, beyond scientific activities and to a general theory of learning and pleasure which suggests that we can be the happiest and most productive when we are most ourselves.

While living in Berlin in 1915, Einstein wrote A poignant letter to his son, only two days after having finished his General Relativity Theory. His tone oscillates from painful madness – illustrating the “clumsy” separation of his family and offering to spend more time with Albert, as he calls it. Her son can “learn a lot of good and beautiful things from me”, writes Einstein, “these days, I finished one of the most beautiful works of my life.”

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Einstein also writes: “I am very happy that you find the joy of the piano. This carpentry and carpentry are in my opinion for your age the best activities. ” A Amateur musician himselfEinstein understood the value of the development of an informal avocation. “Mainly play things about the piano you like,” he said to his son, “even if the teacher does not affect them.” Do what you like, as you like to do, he continues: “This is the way to learn the most, that when you do something with such a pleasure that you don't notice time.”

This great theme of total immersion in a creative company has surfaced several decades later in the work of another scientist, that of the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyidescribed by Martin Seligman—Commentae President of the American Psychological Association – as “the first researcher in the world” in the field of positive psychology. Presented in its popular Ted Talk above, and further in its Books on the subjectCSIKSZENTMIHALYI PERSIGNETTERS OF MIRMOR Fluranche Human Einstein: he calls such a creative immersion “flow” or the state of “being completely involved in an activity for itself”.

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The ego falls. Time flies. Each action, movement and thought inevitably follows the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved and you use your skills to the maximum.

Unlike our usual conceptions of the use of its “skills to the maximum”, CSIKSZENTMIHALYI tells us that the reward to enter such a state is not the material advantages it generates, but positive emotions. These emotions, as Einstein has theorized, not only, motivates us to become better, but they also provide a source of meaning that no financial gain greater than a minimum level can offer. “The lack of basic material resources contributes to misfortune”, demonstrates the data of CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, “but the increase in material resources does not increase happiness.” Although none of us can be Einstein, Csikszentmihalyi tells us that we can all benefit from Einstein's advice, doing everything we do at best our capacities and without any reason other than pure pleasure.

Note: a previous version of this article appeared on our site in 2015.

Related content:

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Creativity, and not money, is the key to happiness: discovering the theory of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly of the “flow”

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How to get into the flow state, increase your ability to concentrate and let your ego fall: an animated primer

Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him to @jdmagness

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