Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge To Gain Success

Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge To Gain Success

‘Imagination is more important than knowledge’ - Albert Einstein: A true quote from one of the most intelligent human being in the history of human being. Do you agree that the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination? Some may not have the same opinion with the quote, however, there are many examples that show the fact that imagination may be in par with knowledge, if not more important. Take Joanne K Rowling for example, the famous author of ‘Harry Potter’ book series who had created a brilliant and fascinating imaginary world that seems unthinkable to average person. Furthermore, her work was beyond the nature of the real world, as it blended into her fiction children storybooks. On the other hand, it started of from an idea, to communicate, over the distance, from two different places that has promoted the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. How did the idea to create art and work so amazing it changed the history of human kind? The secret rests on the power of mind’s eye called imagination. Imagination is defined as the ability to form mental images or picture. Intelligence is often related to the combination of imagination and knowledge. However, which one is more important to success?

Imagination occurs first before knowledge. When Wright Brothers’ invented the world’s first flying machine, the first idea that occurred to them was the desire to make man fly. Putting the idea into theory and theory into logic, it was almost impossible for man to fly without an instrument. However, nothing is impossible with proper knowledge. “Fairy tales are example from the result of imaginative mind. There are many other inventions that have been inspired through imagination” (Imagination, 2010).  Without imagination, knowledge will be a waste. Knowledge alone will not improve or create anything without imagination. Imagination contributes to the idea of the creation new things before knowledge plays the part where information and understanding necessary to implement the theory or idea to meet its objective.

Imagination guides the seeking of knowledge. It is the first stepping-stone to begin the journey towards success. It stimulates the initial idea to persuade you to think deeply about an idea or create something in your mind. To proceed with the process, knowledge is required to execute all the needs to convey the idea into reality. “In the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills, Imagination plays a big part. Both knowledge and imagination are interrelated to each other, both intertwined to create a recurring cycle. Both items helping each other to develop forward” (Leaton, 2009).Without imagination , people would have never thought of creating computers, kindles' or e-books and see where imagination has got us to today.

There are no limits to imagine things using your mind. You can think of anything you want to think and visualize the impossibility and the possibility of using your mind. Your imagination is beyond materialistic restrictions and you are able to do so without risking anything. “Imagination provides the ability to see things at any situation and enables a person to mentally explore the history and the present. It enables individual to explore a whole world inside the mind from different point of view. Imagination also gives the feeling of freedom in the mind from any obstacles. You can travel anywhere quickly without any limits in your imagination” (Remez, 2001). You can imagine cars that use anti-gravity system to travels on water, by air and land without physical contact with surface of objects or without tyres for example. Stacks of moveable houses that can be constructed anywhere above the ground. Moreover, people do not have to walk to go from place to place anymore; they will be flying to get to their destination.

Knowledge can be gained through studying but imagination must be exercised. Imagination can be developed through implementation in everyday life and personal individual talent. “A child who plays with their fantasy creates an imaginary world to act out what he have created with his imagination in make-believe situation in which helps him to exercise his imagination creativity” (Edwin Wong, 2010). With proper practise, one can build up powerful imagination. For example, children who love to play video games have a better imagination than adults who work based on data.  Conversely, knowledge is all about fact and understanding. It can be studied, read, learn, and experienced through life. You can simply gain knowledge by reading books, learning from experience and understand a situation.

Imagination wills the person to think. It gives the person a new view of the world. For example, how people poke and prod their body during Thaipusam celebration. It is in their imagination (belief) which enables them to think that they will not feel the pain. According to Sobel, “Imagination can be a powerful resource in relieving stress, pain and other unwanted symptoms. It can be used to produce calming, energizing or healing responses in one’s body”. Thus, imaginations control your thinking and influence the brain response toward your senses.

Knowledge guides to powerful imagination. Proper knowledge guides you to develop positive thoughts and sharpen their imagination. Thus, the level of knowledge influences directly to your imagination. Such is as; children may imagine the fantasy world like what they hear from fairy tales, like talking to animals and objects. Secondary, teenagers might imagine on entertainment and excitement in their life like being popular in school and excelling in education to pass their exams. Meanwhile, educated adults use their imagination on how to enhance technology, invent something or find a new alternative to expend their business or earn more money. “To be a successful creative author requires knowledge from constant reading. Enhance in level of knowledge and experience are needed to sharpen your imagination and improve creativity” (Sumaila Isah Umaisha, 2007).

Imagination is equally important compared to knowledge. They are both go hand in hand. Without imagination, the knowledge you have is weak. Without knowledge, the imagination that you create is also feeble. As said by Sumaila Isah Umaisha, “Other important factor in the creativity process is knowledge that helps to enrich the imagination. In other words, knowledge and imagination complement to each other. Knowledge gained through listening and reading could help to develop idea or image that have never seen or experience physically”. For example, imagination symbolised with dreams while knowledge symbolised with encyclopaedia. It requires both imagination and knowledge to define intelligence.

Imagination is merely forecast and unrealistic. Memories, daydreams, thoughts are all impracticable thoughts. On the other hand, knowledge is in a form of events that already occurs. It is a fact and static. In contra, imagination is about the outlook of something, or circumstances that potentially to happen or might not happen at all. Hence, it makes imagination unreliable. According to Remez, “Imagination is a capacities of the mind to build mental scenes, objects or an event that is unreal, are not present or history”.

Everybody can imagine but not all have the knowledge. Imagination is not necessarily true. It can be artificial because anyone can have imagination. Only an imagination that guided with appropriate knowledge in individual creates advance inventions and ideas of intelligence or otherwise it is worthless. “Knowledge is a powerful tool that gives people skills, confidence and authority to act and to become leader” (Masson, 2007). For instance, when someone asks you the different between moon and earth, you can imagine they are both round in shape. Applying knowledge to the imagination, you can characterize the moon as rough in surface, no organic livings, no air, and no gravity, whereas the earth consist of organic and non-organic living, covers with 70% water and etc. The facts that you apply into your imagination is knowledge that enable you to make the imagination as useful and factual.

Imagination leads to negative thinking. According to Remez, “Imagination can leads to suffering, incompetence, difficulties, failures and unhappiness if people inclined to think negatively”. For example, when you imagine yourself failed to fulfil the work handed to you, it will automatically turns your sense, mind and emotion to think of worse thing that might happen like being fired by your boss for the incomplete task. All the negative thinking will linger and play a trick in your mind to make you feel more and more misery and give up before trying. In other word, imagination could put you mind under stress when you think of the situation in other way round.

            In conclusion, imagination and knowledge plays important rule towards achievement of success. One requires both imaginative mind and substantial level of education or knowledge to achieve their goals in life. It is not about which one is more important but it is the level of capacity one should exercise and gain in order to lead to success.

Reference

Edwin Wong (2010)
Build: Build your imagination. Retrieved March 17, 2010 from http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100108190306/Article/index_html

Imagination. (2010)
Retrieved March 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagination

Leaton R. (2009)
Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from http://www.articlehealthandfitness.com/articledetail.php?artid=32864&catid=423&title=Imagination-Is-More-Important-Than-Knowledge

Masson J. (2007)
Knowledge Is Important-However-Doing It Is Critical. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Knowledge-Is-Important-However-Doing-It-Is-Critical&id=433775

Remez S. (2001)
The Power of Imagination. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000007.htm

Sumaila Isah Umaisha (2007)
Enrich your imagination (tips). Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://everythinliterature.blogspot.com/2007/08/enrich-your-imagination-tips.html

Sobel D. S. (n.d)
How to Use Your Imagination to Improve Your Health. Retrieved March 17, 2010, from http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.aspx?Id=419

Stress Management

Have you experiencing headache, having too much work to do at once, thinking about so many things and finally give a long sigh? Take this situation as example, studying last minutes for final exam gives so much pressure. Burden with financial problem and unfriendly environment at home caused so much tense. Trying to cope with both final exam and get along with the environment at home leads to pressure. It happens to almost everyone. These symptoms may lead to stress. Stress is unavoidable to anyone. Some people do not realize they are experiencing stress. Children, teenagers, and adults face this problem every day. Stress among teenagers is said to be the most challenging one as at this age they are in the sensitive stage of shifting from childhood to adulthood. However, stress among teenagers can be overcome effectively by adopting positive thinking, avoiding the unnecessary stress, and altering the situation that causes stress.

Firstly, teenagers can learn to adopt positive thinking when facing with tense situation. Positive thinking is the key to minimize stress. A teenager should learn to accept things that cannot be amended. Real life is more challenging, painful and not as good as fantasy. For example, the unexpected loss of a close person can make a teenager feel like the world has ended. They should be aware that death is something that is beyond their control. Thinking about it over again with endless weeping will do no good. Teenagers should learn to face it like an adult, accept the fate that cannot be changed, and carry on with life. Besides, teenagers should expect and accept some frustrations, failures and sorrows in life’s journey. Poor performance in certain area does not signify others seem sub-standard because usually we express something small to seem bigger than it is unless if we describe it very precisely, the weaknesses may only involves a minor area because of common mistake (Makin & Lindley, 1991). For example, failing in exam once does not mean failing in exams forever. A broken friendship or breaking up with a girlfriend or a boyfriend, leads teenagers to a stressful situation. Teenagers are supposed to understand that those common experiences help in developed positive thinking, decision making and judgement over the situation. Although it is hard to think positively in such situations when they are overwhelmed with emotional frustration, teenagers should learn to forgive and forget. Teenagers should recognize their weaknesses as well as others’ around them because nobody is perfect and find a way to improve it somehow. Moreover, according to a saying, ‘Every illness has its medicine to cure’; there is no problem without a solution. ‘Do not put salt into an injury’. The phrase gives meaning not to put in more tense to a situation that is already stressful. Enough with dealing with minor stress, a teenager should tolerate with the situation and face it calmly and prudently without adding more tense into it.

Secondly, teenagers can also adopt a skill of avoiding the unnecessary stress in their life. Not everything handed to teenagers is bearable and should be accepted and taken by them. The main key is to learn to say ‘No’ over situations or things that can put more pressure on their life. It is normal for teenagers, especially students to be burdened with lots of homework, assignments, and school project at the same time. Teenagers should know their limitations in handling work at crucial and hectic moment. For example, when rushing to finish assignments before the deadline and a friend from far comes for a visit and asks them out, this situation creates a tiny stress in choosing between the two options. Teens should know which option is more important and which option to say ‘No’ to. Furthermore, teenagers can also take control over the surroundings and any circumstances that can cause anxiety and stress. For example, when a teenager trying to study in a room, which have been share with two other siblings that making noises by playing with each other or making irritating sounds. They cannot focus on their study because of the noise and this leads to stress. Either to solve it, they can tell their siblings to lower down their voice and stop making noises or they can just find another place to study with less distraction. For example, they can choose to study in the library. Other than that, good practice of healthy lifestyle can also reduce the unnecessary stress in teenagers’ life. A healthy diet is essential. A balanced diet gives sufficient nutritious food supply for the body. A healthy eating habits practice is essential for a proper nutrition that provides the necessary nutrients and other food components for the body to sustain a busy pace of life (Norimah A. Karim, 2008). Teenagers should take enough sleep. Unhealthy diet habits and lack of sleep will lead to stress and lack of energy and focus during the day. Teenagers should also take some time to relax in order to release stress. Some relaxing techniques like yoga, site seeing, listening to music, playing sports, hanging out with good friends, or raising a pet can also minimize and avoid the unnecessary stress in teenagers’ life. Physical activity like Yoga does not only help to improve physical health but also to advance an overall sense of well-being such as to promote flexibility and strength, as well as control breathing and really helpful in stress reduction (MacDonald, 2002).

Finally yet importantly, stress can be minimized by altering the situation that leads to pressure, tension and anxiety in everyday routine of teenager’s life. Some causes of stress are unavoidable. However, by making a change can reduce it somehow. The implementation of effective and proper time management can reduce the stress level a youngster is having. Time management is include plans which have a schedule timed that consist of all the activities that responsible to handle, set the most priority of activities to handle and down to least important tasks according to time changes (Varsamis, 2006). Regular time management can help teens with having proper daily schedule to arrange and fulfil their 24 hours time in a day with beneficial activities. Thus, time for leisure, time for study, time for friends, and time for other work can be spent wisely. With effective time management, time will not be wasted on unnecessary things. In fact, it will put a stop to last minute work; prevent procrastination, give a better quality use of time and give a set of priority to teenagers’ life. Besides, teenagers should be more assertive in communication with other people and to themselves. Effective communication is to send and express ideas or thoughts to other people and they understand a message one is trying to deliver and give respond to it. For example, if teenagers feel that their parents are neglecting them due to busy pace of life, they have to tell their parents how they feel instead of keeping it down. In this context, do not bottle up things alone. Problems at home can be solves with effective communication and discussion. Furthermore, teens can also enlarge a strong social circle by joining a social activity. The solution to teen’s social stress is by creating a bond within a social circle with others whereby they will experience the ability to deal with the complexity in social situations but still gain self-esteem (MacDonald, 2002). Joining social activities can build positive skills such as self-confident and independent. Sharing thoughts and experience with other members in social circle can assist teenagers to manage stress. It can also discipline the them to follow the rules when participating in social activities.

In conclusion, stress is common in teenagers’ life but it can be managed effectively through the implementation of skills to overcome it. Teenagers can put into practice their positive thinking when facing with difficulties, take on a skill of avoiding the unnecessary stress, and change the situation that leads to pressure and stress in life. Stress is bad for health and can leads to depression. ‘A happy face comes from a happy mind’. Therefore, living happily and taking control of stress can prevent teenagers from any negative unexpected results.

References

MacDonald, A. (2002). Stress management techniques for teens. Retrieved February 17, 2009 from http://www.essortment.com/family/stressmanagemen_siqn.html.

Makin, P. E. (1991). Positive stress management. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Norimah A. Karim. (2008, June 1). YourHealth: Get jump start on a healthy life. New Straits Times. Retrieved March 19, 2009 from http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Focus/ 2254005/Article/pppull_index_html.

Varsamis, C. (February 9, 2006). Advantages of time management. Retrieved March 30, 2009 from http://www.articlealley.com/article_28248_24.html