“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein, one of the greatest thinkers who ever lived, made that statement. I would add curiosity to the equation. Imagination and curiosity will open many doors that knowledge can’t. Knowledge will only take you so far, and then imagination and curiosity takes you to the next level. It opens new doors that we didn’t even know existed. That’s how discoveries and new knowledge are found.
Too often, education becomes a memorization of facts and figures. Take good notes, memorize everything, and you can ace most tests and come out in the top percent of your class. I never liked those true or false and multiple-choice tests. Give me an essay test where you are expected to analyze a subject and come up with conclusions and solutions to a problem. That’s where imagination and curiosity come in as you try to find a new way to do or say something. It keeps your mind active.
It reminds me of a woman I met several years ago while we were still living in Madison. My friend, Tom Deits, and I were at a book signing when Brian Green was in Madison. He discussed his new book at the time, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and talked about string theory and parallel universes. A half hour before the event, the seats were filled. Tom and I sat down on the floor near the front. Others did the same. An older lady sat down beside us. I was 61 at the time and not exactly a spring chicken, but she was in her late 70’s. Tom and I started visiting with her as we waited for the program to begin and she was a fascinating person. She was auditing classes at UW-Madison, going to lectures, taking writing classes, exercise classes, and on and on. I mentioned to her that I get frustrated when I hear someone say they are bored and there’s nothing to do!
“Oh,” she said, “I’d like to slap those people up side the head and tell them to get off their butts and start living!”
What a wonderful, energetic lady, and a real joy to talk with. She was full of questions and looking for answers. It’s fun to be around people with such curiosity and zest for life. There she was at a talk about string theory, parallel universes, and other mind-boggling theories. She was curious, just as Tom and I were, and wanted to learn more about these theories and their possible implications to the world we live in. Those subjects and Brian Green’s talk, fueled our imaginations and stirred our curiosity about the origins of life and what discoveries may be found in the future.
I’m like that woman, when I hear someone say they’re bored and there’s nothing to do, I want to tell them to get off their butts and start living. As long as you have an imagination and curiosity, you’ll never be bored. I have so many things I still want to do and learn; I’ll never have enough time.
I would rather read a book or write than sit and watch television. At least those activities require my imagination. When I was young, I loved listening to shows on the radio. My imagination ran wild as I visualized what was happening as the Lone Ranger and Tonto chased down the bad guys. With radio, you had to visualize what the characters looked like and use your imagination to create the scenery and the setting of the story. Perhaps that’s the reason I still love listening to Garrison Keillor and his stories about Lake Wobegon. My imagination becomes a participant in his stories. That’s an element that I feel is missing in television.
My friend and writing mentor, Ben Logan, also stressed the importance of curiosity. I spent many hours visiting with him at his farm, while he was still able to live there, on Seldom Seen Ridge near Gays Mills, Wisconsin. His book, The Land Remembers is one of my all-time favorites. I think his “Santa Claus is a Woman” from Christmas Remembered should be read every year as a Christmas classic. He often talked about the importance of curiosity in life and how important it is to a writer.
Ben and I have many things in common. We were both in Ag Journalism at the UW-Madison Ag School. One of his instructors was Professor Sumner, a very common sense person. Ben said, “Professor Sumner told me, ‘The trouble is, most journalism students write pretty well, but they don’t have a damn thing to write about!’ He had me taking philosophy and other courses to learn a wide variety of subjects. This fit perfectly with my curiosity.”
Ben and I both have an irresistible urge to push open the door of an old deserted barn or farmhouse to see if those who once lived there left any fragments of their life story. My sixth book, “A Door To the Past,” will be published in December. The cover photo is of the latch on the door to our old barn that’s now gone. It’s a symbol of the curiosity I feel when I want to turn a latch, open the door, and see what I can discover on the other side.
Imagination and curiosity are your keys to knowledge. Don’t be afraid to use them.
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