Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. But I’m not quite sure about the universe yet.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein has a few of these funny quotes where he positions himself as the smart guy and most of the rest of us as the stupid ones. In a funny twist of things, I’d say that most of us would actually rather see ourselves as being on Einstein’s side, the smart side. And most of the rest of the humans on the other side. Which by itself, you could say, might be proof of our stupidity.

All this came to my mind when I listened to a documentary about Angela Merkel during the week. She was born in Hamburg and lived there until her family moved to the ‘Russian Zone’. The driver of the van moving their furniture to their new home reportedly said that he only knew two types of people who moved from West to East Germany: Communists, and other idiots.

Somebody once asked Frau Merkel why she liked and studied science and maths. Her answer was that because she could be sure that, even in the Eastern part of Germany, 2 + 2 equalled 4 – at least when she had done the calculations.

We are living in an age, when it is often difficult to figure out what is right and what is wrong. What is fake and what is authentic. 2 + 2 does no longer necessarily equal 4. Independent of the political system we are living in. Independent of the level of intelligence of the people around us.

Could you see anybody coming up, in a credible way, with lines like:

And I would do anything for love,
I’d run right into hell and back
I would do anything for love,
I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact.

Being smart or being stupid is no longer as important as it was in 1951 when that famous picture of Einstein was taken or when he made that remark.

We have all been let down by smart people we trusted who told us lies, who didn’t tell us the truth, including prime ministers, a pope, bankers, judges, and doctors. And many of us have been pulled out of sinking boats and towering infernos by ordinary people who would be considered ‘stupid’ by the smart, rich, famous and privileged.

Pádraig had a good week. He slept well almost every night. He is content in himself. He had loads of exercise and fun, including a ‘dog day’ in An Saol, with three dogs providing tons of action.

We have started to plan life without COVID restrictions hoping that they will come to an end, that soon people can meet up with each other again, go out with each other, and more actively share their life with their friends.

Pádraig can’t wait to get out again with friends. Stay in again with friends. Travel again with friends.

There are people who will help us making our dreams come true. We’d better believe it. As least as long as the stars are burning.

As long as the planets are turning,
As long as the stars are burning,
As long as your dreams are coming true,
You better believe it.

If we believe that, we are smarter than Einstein. It’s not human stupidity, it’s love that is as infinite as the universe. We are the people who’d do anything for love. (And we won’t do that.)