Imagination is more important than knowledge,

"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Aren't these the words of Einstein?

As someone mentioned, knowledge comes from imagination. But that doesn't mean that imagination is more important.

 

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Knowedge is useless in the hands of the unimaginative, have you not been watching 'beauty and the geek?'

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Those people aren't real geeks.

 

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You can say the reverse, about how imagination comes from knowledge.

In any case, I think imagination is at least as important as knowledge - Einstein was brave by saying how it exceeds knowledge in importance.

 

I disagree that the same can be said in reverse.
Knowledge does not create imagination. In fact if anything it probably serves to supress it. Knowledge in it's presumption of knowing something to be correct imposes limits. Children who are without knowledge have no such limits hence their imaginations are the best of all as they are free from the dogmas that knowledge brings.

I saw a briliant example of this on that silly program I mentioned above. The beauties and the geeks were set a series of challenges. One such challenge involved freeing a key sealed inside a block of ice. They were advised they could use certain things to free the key. Matches, wood, fire lighting equip, kettle.

The geeks (knowledgeable chaps in science and physics etc) immediately set about discussing the structure of ice, trying to figure out how long it would take to build a fire, melt the ice, compare it with boiling kettle etc etc etc. Their knowledge and them processing all that knowledge in order to find a solution took some considerable time. And this was in addition to compelting the task once they decided on a course of action. A brainless beauty however who poseessed ZERO knowledge, probably uncertain of her own name, said 'Smash it'.

This was the correct solution and out of all the 6 contestants , 3 geeks (PHD's etc) she was the only one whose imagination (free of knowledge) led her to the MOST logical rapid effective solution.

I call this problem with knowledgeable types as not being able to see the wood for the trees. Having worked with doctors I see they posess great knowledge in medicine but have very little practical and common sense to the point of not knowing how to turn on a printer, flicking smoking light switches and other ridiculous things I noted in my time with them.

Imagination leads to knowledge and knowledge can in excess lead us away from imagination again. Hence we should never dismiss the less educated or the young, for their blank minds and unrestricted imaginations can lead us to the truth, which to them is startlingly obvious! (Note: While to them it is obvious it is not neccessarily correct!

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From a social and literary perspective, yes, imagination exists as a separate realm.

I'm talking from the psychological point of view - as if imagination were literally dreams, which require input of sensory stimulus.

 

Well knowledge requires sensory input, imagination is required to be receptive to that knowledge.

Although of course all this is nonsense.

Humans possess some innate knowledge before birth, not as much as other species as we have larger brains and longer life spans and a greater ability to learn. Larger portion of brain dedicated to learning than any other species.

Meanwhile, all sensory input is recieved by the brain and stored in memory, we may not be consciously aware of massive amounts of data being recieved and stored or even be able to recall it at will, but in it goes. Knowledge therefore could be said to be icncidental, it 'happens' without stimulus, but sensory input is required.

Imagination will then facilitate the aquisition of greater understanding and assist us in aquiring new knowledge without furthur sensory input. How else would anyone invent anything?

Imagination the stuff of dreams or the accumulation of all that information being recieved into our subconscious minds?

Hmmm a circle, imagination the fruits of sensory input, knowledge the fruits of imagination? Knowledge the fruit of sensory input, imagination the fruit of knowledge.......hmmm yes, this would make it appear as though they are the same.

However, feeling cold causes feelings of anxiety (due to muscle contraction, build up of lactic acid = feelings of anxiety), and similarly feeling anxious can make us feel cold. Are cold and anxiety therfore the same...no.

 

What's more important, processor or RAM?

 

Ram

 

Imagination to knowledge is as oxigen and water to life.

"Imagination is far more important than knowledge. Knowledge is its limit"
I red this in a poster with Einstain' photography on it. This line have helped me to understand life much better.

Imagination is an essential tool for Philosophy and Science. The world without imagination is just pure religion and tradition and human will limite their life into the repetitive practice of existing knowledge. Life would run in a single paradigm.
Is like closing your senses to discover and interpretate the language and signals of the Universe that will help us to unveil its secrets and mysteries.

The lack of imagination is equivalent to the end of the evolution of any civilization, society, relationship and self-esteem.

For those who feel safe in the practice of traditions such religion, management, etc will not develop new thoughts, ideas, believes. The human whose imagination hasn’t awaken, hasn’t explored enough of him/herself deepest needs, has no capacity to understand his deepest emotions and therefore can’t develop the capacity to understand and respect other’s people ideas, emotions, feelings, tests and choices.

Without imagination the world become a ball of conflicts based in the imposition of religions, traditions, identity of nationalism and deep imperialism pride.
Therefore those who not believe that imagination is more important than knowledge, has no moral authority to say it as, denying it, is against human freedom.

Imagination is the spring season inside a brain where its fruits will create new and temporary paradigms until a new season comes.

Imagination is the formula for happiness. Imagination is freedom. It’s the supremacy of the spiritual level. Practicing imagination is the most religious expression of human kind.

God's religion was based in the creation. Only possible through imagination and not through animal inertia.

I have met scientists of all kind, including doctors, professors, authors, orbiting around old theories, perhaps due to the value they give to knowledge and not to imagination.
It is more the time they spend reeding other's people's works rather than thinking, sensing life for themselfs.

God bless dreamers and their imagination!

 

God doesnt have much of an imagination!

 

You need knowledge before you can start imagining, but you usually can't do much with that knowledge before you start imagining. I feel that usually a person is better off with small knowledge and great imagination than great knowledge and small imagination... but I think when you need two things one can't be more important than the other.

 

Do you provide me with links or references that suggest this? I know that there are instincts, but I wouldn't classify instincts under knowledge. What do we know before birth?

 

Imagination is more important than knowledge

Lots of people confuse with what is more important between imagination and knowledge because both are parts of their life which are important to all of them however, In my opinion imagination is more important than knowledge for these reasons, Imagination always comes before knowledge and imagination can help people make or create a new thing.
Firstly, let’s see about how imagination comes before knowledge. Since we were children ,when we tried to know or understand something we had to understand with the pictures first and then we will understand much better for example children know that one plus one is two (1+1=2) by the pictures of two things such as two birds or two cats add together and also know that the alphabet “A” is the first letter of the word “apple” by the picture of an apple etc. then children will remember what they have learned and it became the knowledge .In the same way the picture can’t explain everything if we want to understand something we have to image what or how exactly it is then we will know and it will become our knowledge for instance Newton know that the earth has the gravity force because he image that there are some force pull down the apple when he notice that the apple is falling down even though he couldn’t see that real force but he can image what it is or how it is work then he has got the new theory or new knowledge etc.. Therefore I can say that imagination always comes before knowledge.
Furthermore, Imagination can help people make or create a new thing. If we want to know a new thing we have to think or image that thing like some famous scientists when they want to know and create new theory, they need to image about the hypothesis and prove that if it is true, it will become the new theory including the scientist that invent the new inventers like Thomas Alva Edison was both a scientist an inventor invent the light bulb and in 18th to 19th century among the Industrial Revolution ,which was the great change of the economics and technology of the world, because of the new technology innovation invented by the imagination of inventor even the artists have ability of imagination to drawing or painting the beautiful pictures like well known artist “Leonardo da Vinci” in 14th century(1452 –1519) etc. . Nowadays technology and innovation still develop we can see the new high quality technology like computer machine and robot or every inventing all of this came from imagination so imagination can help people make or create the new thing.
However there are still have many reasons that can support my opinion, imagination is more important than knowledge, imagination is really important but it doesn’t mean that knowledge is not important we will see that imagination and knowledge normally come together but I think imagination is more important because of these two reasons, Imagination always comes before knowledge and imagination can help people make or create a new thing.

 

You have it the wrong way round. He knew apples fell. He knew other things fell. He knew the work of Galileo. It was because of this knowledge he was able to imagine the cause of the falling.

 

My experience has always been those who claim one or the other is more important do so only because they lack the one they belittle.

 

Well, imagination seemed to be always one of the points in our history that led to the creation of something new, revolutionary.
But without knowledge at all about a certain subject you can't make fully use of your vast imagination.
It's like, when someone has a high IQ, but can't make use of their intelligence because they don't know how to make use of it, or don't possess the basic knowledge of how to use it.

You have legs with which you could walk if only you knew how to use them.

Okay, I don't make sense.

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Basing things on your own experience is inherently self limiting.

You may not have intended it, but there was a clear critical tone in your post. For the record I was not belittling imagination, I was pointing out that - seemingly - it follows and utilises knowledge. Such an observation in no way belittles imagination. Since I rate more highly in imagination than in knowledge it would be rather silly of me to belittle my strength.

 

You should try using your imagination more.