An image shared on Facebook claims that renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein once stated, “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that Einstein ever said or wrote this statement.

Fact Check:

While Einstein is best known for his contributions to the field of physics, most notably his theories of special and general relativity, he was also known to discuss philosophy, religion and politics and would occasionally mete out general life advice. “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value,” he once told a young man seeking guidance.

However, The Daily Caller News Foundation found no evidence that Einstein ever said or wrote the expression attributed to him on creativity. A search of the Einstein Archives Online returned no results for the word “contagious,” and a spokesperson for the Einstein Papers Project, another extensive collection of Einstein’s written work, told TheDCNF that she could not verify the quote.

It also appears nowhere in the book “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein,” which features more than 1,000 verified Einstein quotes. (RELATED: Did Einstein Say That Technology Would Create A ‘Generation Of Idiots’?)

According to the website Quote Investigator, the quote dates back to at least 1977, published in the book “Creative Growth Games.” The first known attribution to Einstein was in 1992, found in an advertisement for IBM.

Einstein did value creativity and once said during an interview, “I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

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