[imagesource: Getty / Bettmann]

Albert Einstein is perhaps best known as a theoretical physicist and the man behind the world’s most famous equation.

E = mc², and all that.

However, the German-born genius wasn’t afraid to tackle some of life’s other great mysteries, such as unlocking the secret to happiness.

That was actually something he spoke about quite regularly, tackling the question throughout the 1920s and even giving a university speech in California titled “Science and Happiness” in the early 1930s.

With America suffering a great depression after the 1929 Wall Street crash it was an area that needed urgent attention.

Ultimately, Einstein settled on 17 words to unlock the secret of happiness. Those would later turn out to be very valuable, reports Inc:

…one day when a bellboy came to make a delivery to his hotel room, Einstein handed him a pair of signed notes rather than a tip.

One of them read (in German): “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”

17 words.

I would implore you not to hand waitstaff signed notes this festive season because that won’t pay the bills.

That bellboy, or at least his descendants, did come out of this one in good shape:

It’s unclear whether Einstein was passing a note to posterity or was simply caught without pocket change and knew his signature would be worth a lot more than any tip one day.

Image: AFP / Menahem Kahana]

But whatever Einstein’s motivations, his gesture turned out to be incredibly generous. In 2017 the note [above], now owned by one of the bellboy’s descendants, sold for $1.56 million at auction.

A decent return on investment for making a hotel room delivery.

These days you’re more likely to see a lock of Kim Kardashian’s hair fetch millions at an auction than words of wisdom from a famous mind.

Over the years, researchers have come to better understand that what constitutes happiness is certainly unique to each individual.

That’s not to discount the simple premise put forth by Einstein:

Einstein’s secret of happiness actually aligns pretty closely with the modern psychological concept of the hedonic treadmill…

Einstein clearly saw that when he linked the “pursuit of success” with “constant restlessness” in his note. If you’re aiming for some external marker of success both Einstein and modern psychology agree you’re never going to reach your destination no matter how frantically you run.

…his “theory of happiness” note still hit on something important that we can all benefit from bearing in mind. Happiness isn’t a simple concept. Each of us needs to define it individually for ourselves (and those definitions may shift over time), but whatever definition you choose, be very wary of endless striving.

Deep, bro.

You don’t need to be a genius to find happiness (in fact, ignorance is often bliss) but it never hurts to learn from one of the finest minds of recent history.

Happy Wednesday.

[source:inc]