Albert Einstein — "If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; …"
If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Albert Einstein
"I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure…"
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."
"It is not that I'm so smart, but I stay with problems longer."
"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?"
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Success isn't just about hard work alone. It requires three components: productive effort, leisure and joy, and knowing when to stay silent. The formula suggests that rest and play are as essential as labor, and that restraint in speech—avoiding unnecessary talk, boasting, or controversy—is equally critical to achieving a fulfilled, successful life.
Relevance to Albert Einstein
Einstein lived this formula. He worked obsessively on physics yet famously sailed, played violin, and took long walks for mental renewal. His silence was strategic too—he avoided academic politics when possible and carefully chose public battles. The man who revolutionized physics understood that unfocused chatter dissipates energy better spent thinking or creating.
The era
Einstein made this remark in the early 20th century, an era glorifying relentless industrial productivity and hustle. Post-WWI society debated work-life balance as factories demanded grueling hours. Simultaneously, rising media culture rewarded public figures who spoke constantly. Einstein's formula was a quiet rebuke: silence and play weren't laziness—they were prerequisites for genuine achievement.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].