why is imagination so important?

 

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."  - Albert Einstein.

I have a bit of a hard time with this quote because I keep assuming that Einstein is putting knowledge at a solid second place, waaaaaay below imagination. I do not think this was his intention. Writing this blog entry might help dispel my feelings about this.

When I think about the world of disabilities and the way in which so-called abled folk often see us, what comes to mind is that they simply DO NOT KNOW or DO NOT UNDERSTAND what we go through, minute to minute. Here is where imagination comes into play as a possible/probable potent antidote.  

When someone offers condolences about something and says, "I know how you feel," it is a rarity for this to actually be true. But with some imagination, we can get an idea of what it is like to be in someone else's world. This is what is so lacking these days. Those whose troubles are nothing like ours do not have a realistic view of our daily challenges. If a person took just five minutes, closed their eyes, and imagined in detail what another person encounters, I am sure it would be a revealing and educational experience.  They could, for instance, get an inkling of what it is like to go on a basic grocery run, something so many take for granted as an 'average' outing. 

Walk a Mile in my Shoes is a song that came out in 1968. It teaches us both compassion and not to criticize before we judge what that other person is doing or saying. We could rephrase it to Roll a Mile in my Chair,   Breathe Awhile with my Lungs, or Spend an Hour Inside my Brain. 

Of COURSE this would open up people's eyes! The real challenge is to persuade them to do such a thing.  The situation reminds me so much of my conversations with those whose diet is radically different than mine. When I speak of being a vegan, they tend to nervously giggle or sometimes become outright angry. I describe (not in detail, as I would collapse in tears) the horrors of what animals go through before they land on our dinner tables. Very few people grow their own food and thus do not have a clue as to what goes on in the process. If good, caring people, imagined what the animals felt and feared, I think the consumption of meat and dairy would plummet. But it is just as much of a challenge to find those willing to think about this. 

How DO we reach out and ask others to imagine what a life with disabilities is like? Ted Talks  is a wonderful source and can be found on the internet. YouTube also has opportunities. Many people find it 'safer' to go this route before having such a conversation with a real person, a neighbor, a classmate, even family who lives with disabilities. Other reputable sites exist if we look.

We can learn all about what it is like, factually, but the imagination is the key tool, I believe, in a true understanding and compassion that will lead to change for the better in our society.

-GG