A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest–a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
Einstein, The Einstein Papers
It is striking how one often encounters the same ideas, or variations of an idea, from corners that don’t seem too evidently connected. At first I couldn’t quite believe this was said by Einstein. For starters, the man is one of the most misquoted figures on the Internet. Second, it did seem a tad too spiritual for a Western physicist’s taste. But well, say this, he did–wrote it, rather–to a rabbi friend who was mourning the loss of his teenage daughter.
How strongly these convictions were based on his own study of the Universe would make for some interesting homework. As this NYT article states, “These were years when Einstein, in addition to his voluminous correspondence, was trying to unify into a single comprehensive theory the laws governing both gravity and electromagnetism. It was his deep conviction that such a unity must exist in nature, but he was never sure that he had it within his grasp, and his frustration on this score shines through his correspondence.”
The singularity of everything is an idea that one also comes across in Eastern religion and philosophy. It’s a beautiful thought to start this website with, and there’s can’t be a greater honor than beginning the writing journey with the words of a man who redefined science and intellectual vigor.
Sinduja Ragunathan 
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