It all started with me coming across one of my photos and thinking about imagination .. Then, it hit me that I had read somewhere what Albert Einstein had said: “I’m enough of an artist to draw freely on my imagination, which I think is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
_{[source: A. Einstein, Cosmic Religion: With Other Opinions and Aphorisms, p. 97 (1931).]}

So is imagination more important than knowledge? Is imagination more important than reality? Do we need it in our lives or does it complicate things and draws us away of what really matters?

What is imagination?

Imagination as per google dictionary is defined as:

Imagination is the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.
"she'd never been blessed with a vivid imagination"
Imagination is the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.
"she was set in her ways and lacked imagination"
Imagination is the part of the mind that imagines things.
"a girl who existed only in my imagination"

Einstein used to refer to his scientific thought as “certain signs and […] images which can voluntarily be reproduced or combined”
Using ones imagination means being able to distribute a variety of information through a mental process and eventually proceed to the creation of something new!
Imagination is an inspiring state. Imagination involves a great amount of creativity, while picturing something from the past or imagining things we would like to see in the future. Imagination comes from within, even if sometimes generated by outside worlds’ stimulus.

Manipulating mental representations consciously is considered central to many creative and uniquely human abilities. source

Studies have managed to uncover a widespread neural network through multivariate pattern analysis, after having conducted methods of measuring the participants’ neural activity (fMRI) during their engagement to specific tasks.

What is Knowledge?

As per google dictionary:

Knowledge refers to facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.
"a thirst for knowledge"
Knowledge is awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.
"the programme had been developed without his knowledge"

Knowledge and its origins had been a matter of discussion ever since the ancient times. In Ancient Greece, Plato used to believe that people were born bearing an innate knowledge, and learning was just a process of unlocking the memories.
On the other hand, Aristotle believed the contrary; that knowledge could only be gained by comparing the facts with already known truths.
source

We now know that imagination expands the mind, forming connections through the brain’s areas. From early childhood, playing is an essential activity, necessary for children’s development and their growth.
source

Nowadays we are too busy trying to develop our knowledge in various fields that it seems we are too busy and we forget leaving time for our imagination to blossom.

This post aims to remind us that apart from knowledge, there are other aspects of our brain that we should nurture.

New skills and new knowledge is great, but a powerful and vivid imagination are very important throughout all stages of our life.

Quoting Dr Naomi Lavelle writing for the journal.ie

To really reach our full potential I believe imagination and play should be as important in our daily lives as love, nutrition and health.

And to close, thank you for reading and remember that we do not need wings to fly, we just need to allow ourselves to take a break, breathe and give some colour to our thoughts : )

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