The wisdom of Albert Einstein

Happy birthday, Albert!

Albert Einstein, maker of dubious claims regarding fish.

It's Albert Einstein's birthday today, so in honour of his genius here's a nugget of wisdom from the great man himself:

“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Well first of all, Albert, in that case the fish would be right because fish are stupid. And secondly, if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it won’t think it's stupid at all, because fish lack the necessary level of intelligence to be aware that they are being judged.

So whatever you think of it, the fish would live its whole life thinking typical fish-like thoughts such as, ‘Oh, there’s that nasty big fish again. I’d better swim away before it eats me,’ and stuff like that. It certainly won't be thinking, ‘Oh, no! That dude thinks I’m stupid because I can’t climb trees. Sigh, he’s really undermined my self-confidence with his hurtful remarks.’