“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein.
If I were to identify one single lesson I’ve learned as the most significance and influential, I would pick imagination. The reason why imagination is so important is because it lends to two key attributes: empathy and intelligence. I feel both of these attributes are absolutely critical to have an enriching and fulfilling life.
How does imagination lend to empathy? Well, it’s quite simple, empathy requires the ability to apply yourself to other people’s reality. And this requirement can only be filled with the act of imagining yourself in a hypothetical situation that is similar to what people are actually going through.
How does imagination help with intelligence? Before i answer, I would like to differentiate intelligence from wisdom. Wisdom, I think, is the result of reflecting upon what you have experienced. In other words, the truths you’ve concluded from various things you had done. Intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to predict truths before experiencing it for yourself. For instance, Einstein was able to theorize about travelling near the speed of light without actually doing it. Yet he was able to conclude truths which expanded into a new branch of physics. This demonstrates how the ability to imagine is absolutely crucial for one’s intelligence.
So to conclude, imagine great things, things you wouldn’t be able to experience at the present moment and learn from it.
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