© 2025 Juergen A. Riedelsheimer. All rights reserved.

"I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It's

because of them I'm doing it myself."

— Albert Einstein —

We often perceive rejection as an obstacle, yet Einstein's words challenge this view. Rather than limiting us, it compels us to forge our path. Rejection does not terminate our opportunities; it reveals that we must actively pursue them. By rising in defiance, we shape our destiny and express the highest form of rational agency.

From a Kantian standpoint, the essence of human dignity lies in autonomy - the ability of rational beings to act according to self-imposed laws rather than external dictates. Allowing others to deny us opportunities does not diminish our worth, for the moral law within us demands that we act not out of dependence but from self-legislation.

Einstein's words reflect a fundamental truth: external validation does not determine the worth of an action - reason does. When we act from reason rather than dependence, we affirm our freedom and realize our highest potential.