“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
~Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein, undoubtedly one of the smartest persons of the 20th century—arguably one of the smartest persons in all of history—understood not only the power but also the importance of imagination. Imagination is what drives us, and pushes us forward—within ourselves, in our society, and in the world as a whole. If one of the most knowledgeable men to have lived in our modern time knew and understood this fact, why is it that we still stifle our own imagination, buying into the fact that the two are mutually exclusive and don’t coexist.
True, knowledge has its value and its place—but knowledge itself is finite to a point. That is not to say that knowledge will end, rather that there comes a point in our own lives when our gleaning of knowledge begins to wane. Having said that, however, I do not mean that we will run out of ideas—that is where imagination comes into play—and where our true power lies. You’ve probably heard the adage—“Knowledge is power”—while I agree with that statement, I agree with Einstein—true power lies within our imagination. Again, I’m not saying that you should give up on learning and gaining knowledge, but only that it shouldn’t be your only pursuit in life. Instead, try and make a balance between the two concepts—cultivate your own ingenuity. Ingenuity is the culmination of knowledge and imagination—the fusion of your knowledge and imagination to bring your ideas to fruition.
What I am trying to say is, BE CREATIVE! Whether you’re a Math, Science, Business, English, Theatre, or any other major, you have the potential to use the knowledge that you have within your field to create something meaningful and contribute something to that field, and to the world. Don’t live by the limitations current knowledge puts before you—push through and look beyond those limits, using your imagination to make something wonderful.
Lofty life goals, yes, but just because they are high standards, doesn’t mean that we should shirk from them. I believe in you, and I think that if we all try to IMAGINE just a little bit more, we can make the world a better place.