J. Robert Oppenheimer, profile, 1946. Public domain.
Moving From Apolitical to Politically Savvy
For a man as well-rounded as Oppenheimer, he rarely connected with world events around him. Before the world descended into political turmoil in the years leading to World War II, he preferred to study ancient texts (in its original Sanskrit, Greek, or Latin, of course). He refused to listen to the radio, a main news source at the time, and did not have a telephone. As politically savvy as he would become, he avoided reading anything about politics and economics, instead focusing on his more academic pursuits. He hung out with Communists and supported some of their causes, but never joined the party himself. He became more involved with the world around him when he saw what was happening to his family and colleagues in Germany.