What Makes the Great Great--Beyond Their Academic Achievements ( M.L.)

I have the habit of tracing successful people's lives and trying to generalize their common characters. When I looked through the list of the Nobel laureates, I noticed them, Albert Einstein, a laureate in physics in 1921 and Albert Camus in literature in 1957. I decided to compare them to see if there are any similarities in the two Nobel laureates. Actually I discovered far more than I had expected, and I realized that the scientist who shook the foundation of physics by introducing the Theory of Relativity and the writer whose literature was regarded as “clear-sighted earnestness that illuminates the problems of human conscience” shared many common characters in respect of their values and principles. Here I would like to discuss some of their common values and principles. I believe this will give you a deeper insight into what makes the great great.

The first common character of Einstein and Camus is speaking the truth. Einstein's honesty and frankness were not only reflected in his scientific researches, but also in his involvement in political and humanitarian activities. Facing Germany's rising militarism, he spoke and wrote for peace frankly while many people of conscience fled to the underground. Camus did not allow his art to compromise with lies. He exalted spiritual well-being in a world of materialism. He took pride in his insistence on telling the truth and his resistance to oppression. He had been speaking out against totalitarianism until the end of his life.

Despite that they specialized in different fields, they shared the same love and sympathy for humankind, especially for the weak. Einstein believed that an individual existed for other people and was bound with others' destinies by the ties of sympathy. He regarded class distinctions as unjustified and expressed his sympathy for those who suffered. Camus would rather put himself in the service of those who suffered than those who made history. In fact most of the characters in his books are common people such as the principle character of the Plague an ordinary medical professional.

Einstein and Camus both highly evaluated liberty and peace. Einstein's political ideal was democracy and he pursued individual liberty. He criticized militarism, war was vile to him. He himself did not play a role in the Manhattan Project other than signing the letter which showed concern about the potential danger of Germany's developing atomic bombs. Camus appealed to bring in new laws of justice to remake the war-threatened world into “the Ark of the Covenant”.

In terms of attitudes towards academic life, they both had strong passion for their careers, and they both took their academic progress as the gateway to approaching their ultimate goals of life. For Einstein, his passion for physics came from his deep desire to understand the marvelous structure of the natural world and to discover the profoundest beauty in the laws of science. Camus'passion came from his mission in life to reveal the common joys and sorrows, and to appeal to reestablish humans' dignity of life and death. In this sense, Einstein and Camus were both philosophers marching on the road to the eternal truth.

Although they both had extinguished achievements, they also had mutual preference for solitude and exclusion of fame. Einstein described himself as “an alone traveler”. He never truly belonged to anyone or any country. He had never lost the sense of distance and a need for solitude because he emphasized thinking independently and avoided being influenced by others’ opinions. He had always wanted a frugal life and he believed that a simple and unassuming life could benefit people a lot. Camus also highly recognized solitude and declined fame to a certain extent. He reviewed that he was accustomed to living in the solitude of composing and that he did not desire the kind of life at the centre of spotlights.

However, in spite that they preferred solitude, it is a fact that they both had strong senses of social responsibility. They did not try to isolate themselves from the society. Instead, they led active parts in activities that promoted people's living conditions.

To sum up, the immortality of the great is attributed to more than just their outstanding academic achievement, but to a larger degree is due to their great personalities, values and principles that shining in them regardless of their specializations. I will cultivate my personalities and nurture my values. I will not lose myself.