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If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, I would not try… — Albert Einstein

Newspaper

If I would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, I would not try to become a scientist or scholar or teacher. I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances.

Albert Einstein
1954
★ 1.1
Other tags relating to this quote
Topic
VocationJobs
Statement type
Advice
Medium
Newspaper
Time
1954
Person
Albert Einstein
Provenance
Citation
Einstein, Albert. "On Intellectual Freedom, 18 November 1954." Einstein on Politics, edited by David E. Rowe and Robert Schulmann. Princeton University Press, 2007, ch. 10. Originally from Letter to the editor published in The Reporter, 18 Nov. 1954.

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Look at it this way, you know. A man takes a job, you know? And that job—I mean, like that—that becomes what he is. You know, like—you do a thing and that's what you are. Like I've been a cabbie for seventeen years. Ten years at night. I still don't own my own cab. You know why? Because I don't want to. That must be what I want. To be on the night shift drivin' somebody else's cab. You understand? I mean, you become—you get a job, you become the job. One guy lives in Brooklyn. One guy lives in Sutton Place. You got a lawyer. Another guy's a doctor. Another guy dies. Another guy gets well. You know, people are born. I envy you. Go on, get laid, get drunk. Do anything. You got no choice, anyway. I mean, we're all fucked. More or less, ya know.

Wizard
Taxi Driver · 1976
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