A comment recalled by János Plesch in János, the Story of a Doctor (1947), p. 207. Also quoted in Einstein: the Life and Times by Ronald W. Clark (1971), p. 118 http://books.google.com/books?id=6IKVA0lY6MAC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA118#v=onepage&q&f=false.
1940s
Variant: "When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come close to the conclusion that the gift of imagination has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing absolute knowledge." From The Ultimate Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2010), p. 26 http://books.google.com/books?id=G_iziBAPXtEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA26#v=onepage&q&f=false. This book attributes it to Einstein and the Humanities (1979) by Dennis Ryan, p. 125, but Calaprice seems to have copied it wrong, since searching "inside the book" on this book's amazon page http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Humanities-Contributions-Dennis-Ryan/dp/0313253803 using the word "gift" shows that p. 125 actually gives the same quote as in János, the Story of a Doctor.
“The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.”
Source: Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (1999), pp. 49-50
“All my life,” I said, “knowledge has come to me for which I was not ready.”
Book Three, Part III “Inside the Hollow Star”, Chapter 1 (p. 379)
The Birthgrave (1975)
“I am no more humble than my talents require.”
As quoted in Memorable Quotations: Jewish Writers of the Past (2005) edited by Carol A. Dingle.
Lecture I : Pragmatism : The Normative Sciences, CP 5.14
Pragmatism and Pragmaticism (1903)
Context: A certain maxim of Logic which I have called Pragmatism has recommended itself to me for diverse reasons and on sundry considerations. Having taken it as my guide for most of my thought, I find that as the years of my knowledge of it lengthen, my sense of the importance of it presses upon me more and more. If it is only true, it is certainly a wonderfully efficient instrument. It is not to philosophy only that it is applicable. I have found it of signal service in every branch of science that I have studied. My want of skill in practical affairs does not prevent me from perceiving the advantage of being well imbued with pragmatism in the conduct of life.
“I can't let myself fly with my fantasy because it is against my nature.”
Non posso abbandonarmi a voli di fantasia perché ciò è contrario alla mia natura.
Quoted in "Badoglio Risponde" - Page 225 - by Vanna Vailati - Italy - 1958
Shakespeare over the Port (1960)
“Facts are more mundane than fantasies, but a better basis for conclusions.”
Salon.com, 05/26/05
