Why is imagination more important? The short answer is that knowledge keeps change, keeps shifting. It is often colored by perception and prejudice. The game of "telephone" demonstrates this. One person states a fact to another person, who tells it to another, and on and on until the information has been relayed to each person in the room. A statement such as "We are only taking applications from dyslexic secretaries from Detroit" could end up garbled into "We are speaking to discombobulated domestics from Denver."
Imagination, however, can set you free. Suppose you are in your car, stuck in a traffic jam at the end of a long, difficult day. One reaction could be to inwardly curse the driver who started the fender bender that led to the gridlock. You treat the incident as the proverbial straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back and sit there stewing, gripping the steering wheel. With imagination, you realize that camels may be a better way to travel since they run on water and never get into traffic jams! You can also use it to let yourself roam to the ridiculous worst case scenario of still being stuck behind the wheel on the same stretch of highway at two o'clock in the morning.
One other use of imagination is in the art of creative visualization. People from all walks of life, from teachers to business leaders to athletes have used this technique to improve their performance. They imagine themselves flawlessly explaining how to divide fractions, acing that PowerPoint presentation or scoring an eagle on Par seven. Since the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real experience or an imagined one, the creative visualization counts as real world practice.
Imagination can also help you with the most important relationships in your life. It can literally "take you out of yourself." Suppose that you are at home and your husband or wife is due to arrive home soon. Rather than go into a reactive stance and let the situation unfold as it will,...