“Einstein” by Walter Isaacson: Is Einstein’s reputed “absentmindedness” a rationalization for possible multiple-personality trait memory gaps?

“His distracted demeanor, casual grooming, frayed clothing, and forgetfulness, which were later to make him appear to be the iconic absentminded professor, were already evident in his student days. He was known to leave behind clothes, and sometimes even his suitcase, when he traveled, and his inability to remember his keys became a running joke with his landlady. He once visited the home of family friends and, he recalled, ‘I left forgetting my suitcase. My host said to my parents, ‘That man will never amount to anything because he can’t remember anything’ ” (1, p. 39).

Comment: My first reaction to the above was conventional: Einstein was so preoccupied with profound thoughts that he forgot mundane things. But why wasn’t he able to multitask at least to the extent of taking his suitcase?

Did Einstein switch to an alternate personality to do his profound thinking? I don’t know. But I do know that some fiction writers with multiple personality trait, like Mark Twain, were also known for remarkable absentmindedness.

1. Walter Isaacson. Einstein: His Life and Universe. New York, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2007.