爱因斯坦在《我的世界观》中提到自我批评、好奇心、专注和毅力这四个因素。
爱因斯坦写道：
“The most important factor is self-criticism. I am by nature very critical of my own work, and I am always ready to see where I have made mistakes. I think that a true scholar should be modest, and should always be ready to question his own work.”
“I have always been a curious person, and I have always enjoyed thinking about the mysteries of nature. I think that curiosity is essential for any kind of scientific research.”
“I am also a very focused person, and I can concentrate on a research project for a long time without being distracted. I think that focus is also important for scientific research.”
“I am also a very determined person, and I am willing to work hard to achieve my goals. I think that determination is also important for scientific research.”
中文翻译：
自省：“我认为，自我批评是最重要的因素，因为它可以帮助我们发现自己的错误和不足，从而不断改进。我对自己的工作非常严格，我总是会不断地审视自己的工作，寻找其中的错误和不足。”
好奇心：“我从小就对自然界充满了好奇心，我喜欢思考和探索未知。我对自然的神秘感到惊奇，这是一种永恒的神秘，我永远不会停止思考它
专注：“我也是一位非常专注的人，我可以长时间地投入到一个研究项目中，不为外界干扰。我对自己的目标非常明确，我会尽一切努力去实现它。”
毅力：“我也是一位非常有毅力的人，我可以坚持不懈地追求自己的目标。我曾经花了十年时间来研究狭义相对论，我也曾多次遭到质疑，但我始终坚持不懈，最终取得了成功。”
在芒格的《穷查理宝典》里，也提到了爱因斯坦的这个四个要素：
我想说的是，智商这么高的人，还具备自省、好奇心、专注和毅力。
普通人情以何堪？