1889 Einstein Settles into a program of self-education at age 10

From age five until age ten, Einstein attended a Catholic School near his home.

But, at age 10, Einstein was transferred to the "Luitpold Gymnasium", where Latin, Greek, History, and Geography were pounded into the children's' heads.

Einstein hated the academic high school he was sent to in Munich, where success depended on memorization and obedience to arbitrary authority.

He was not a good student, He was withdrawn from the world even as a boy -- a pupil for whom teachers held out only poor prospects."

Einstein was a bit of a rebel, and not too good with authority figures. One of his earlier teachers accused him of sitting in the back row and smiling He always felt better if he could reject authority rather than it rejecting him. And one or the other happened on many occasions!

When his father "asked his son's headmaster what profession his son should adopt, the answer was simply: 'It doesn't matter; he'll never make a success of anything.'"


The young Einstein settles into a program of self-education at age 10.

A family friend named Max Talmud, a medical student, introduced the ten-year-old Einstein to some of the most defining works in the field of science, mathematics, and philosophy texts which included Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and Euclid's Elements. Einstein understood the deductive reasoning From Euclid and by the age of twelve, he had learned Euclidean geometry. After this he also began to explore calculus. His real studies were done at home with books on mathematics, physics, and philosophy and begins reading as much about science as he can.



A teacher suggested Einstein leave school, since his very presence destroyed the other students' respect for the teacher.


It was Albert Einstein's tendency to rebel that was the source of his great creativity

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
Albert Einstein

In This Weeks Free Newsletter