Talk:Albert Einstein quote

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
-Albert Einstein, What Life Means to Einstein (1924)

Context

"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination encircles the world"
-Albert Einstein As quoted in "What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck" in The Saturday Evening Post (26 October 1929) q:Albert_Einstein

Discussion

You are spot on Alby. unsigned comment added by 65.92.111.22 18:36, 18 May 2008, attribution added by Abd 18:57, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps imagination is the basis for all knowledge due to the fact that any kind of invention or theory is either created or purposed as a result of an idea formatted from imagination. Thus, proving that knowledge is just as infinite and important as imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.198.132.165 (talk • contribs) 23:08, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

This quote inspired me to make this -- Amog |^Talk 08:13, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

I completely Agree with this precious quote of his. Yes we are nothing without knowledge but where imagination comes into play new knowledge is born. The fact that imagination without turning into something useful is such a waste but it can't be denied that everything that has led to great discoveries are part of someone's imagination. For me imagination is way to unlock hidden doors.

I'd disagree, even the most imaginative person is nothing without knowledge, while someone with great knowledge can still make contributions without imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.208.209.177 (talk • contribs) 23:31, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

You make a good point, yet I feel that only pertains to math and sciences and other forms of "one sided" subjects. Not saying that they aren't a difficult concept that requires both knowledge and imagination but they are much more set in their ways. Where as in the arts, one with knowledge can create things based off of the past when one with imagination can create original work rather than replicas of the past. I feel they have some what of a Ying-Yang relation. For instance, math and music can go hand in hand in some cases, just as imagination and knowledge can. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:11, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

Knowledge is simply a reference to what was accomplished due to past acts of imagination. Therefor, it is inferior to imagination in that respect. It is true that someone can contribute without imagination, but none of those contributions can possibly spawn new sources of knowledge. One can teach and pass down previous knowledge without imagination, but only through imagination can new knowledge be created, making knowledge dependent upon imagination and ultimately inferior. But it is very true that knowledge can be an aid to imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:11, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

I agree, in the sense that knowledge is dependent upon imagination but I feel that neither is superior, due to the fact that after imagination creates something new, it becomes knowledge. Thus proving that even imagination is dependent upon knowledge; mainly to allow the imagination process to be completed and to become of use. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.121.123.87 (talk • contribs) 23:39, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

I disagree. I believe that imagination doesn't become knowledge, but instead creates knowledge. The imagination still remains after the knowledge is created, and it goes on to create even more knowledge. Imagination is the mother, and knowledge is the child. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.119.203.219 (talk • contribs) 23:45, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

I agree that imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is only the root that initiates imagination. It is the imagination through which one can promote ideas and not knowlege.Knowledge is the fundamental through which scientists promoted inventions through their imagination. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Priyanka sinha (talk • contribs) 03:10, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

New Guy: My dog has knowledge but no imagination. And like most (higher) animals, she gets along okay like that. She knows where she lives, for instance. If she had no knowledge, she may not survive. Imagination is essentially of human importance, but it's probably just ego. You really could become an automaton and still be alive, and not in serious pain. You would no longer be what we called human. Even if the dog analogy is only an analogy, I think it extends out. "More important to what end?" may be the real question. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.164.146.55 (talk • contribs) 15:32, 5 July 2009 (UTC)

This is a slogan that the ignorant and intellectually lazy use to pretend that that they are equal to or better than those those who have actually made the effort to learn about something. (of course, that was not Einstein's intention, if he really ever said it, but it is how it gets used.) It is anti-educational and is an extremely inappropriate epigraph for something purporting to be an educational project. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.84.85.130 (talk • contribs) 04:43, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

A favorite quote of mine. In terms of quotes, people's interpretations are rather contextual. Some people may find the quote inspirational because they tend to be more creative. While others may feel it is insulting to their intellectualism. But personally, I feel the truth of this quote is its ability to convey the importance of both knowledge AND imagination. Inserted into context, Einstein himself was a rather curious and imaginative person. His ability to think beyond the norms is why he was able to develop his Theory of Relativity in the first place. One also cannot deny Einstein's appreciation of creative arts such as literature and music. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.115.55.160 (talk • contribs) 10:18, 23 August 2009 (UTC)

OK people many of you are missing the entire meaning of the quote altogether. Imagination is absolutely MORE important than knowledge because it is the basis of all we create and without creation man is only another animal. It is what seperates us from the lower lifeforms on our planet people. The concept is to understand that your imagination has no limits at all and your knowledge obviously does. Imagination is how we grow and how we learn more knowledge. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.200.61.226 (talk • contribs) 16:08, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

I find irrelevant to measure one against the other. I myself like to think that inspiration is also important source of great accomplishments, although Thomas Edison once said "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration". There are variations to that first statement he made such as "None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration". We also have read about discoveries due to mishandling or accidents, which would not be evaluated by the authors if they did not have the necessary knowledge. Therefore, one can conclude that many factors contribute to accomplish great discovery or work of art: inspiration, imagination, knowlegde, skill, hard work and sometimes, luck - things also happen by accident. Bebo 16:29, 31 January 2010 (UTC)

Avoiding the whole taking sides, Both are important, but look at this way, there are people who created the earth and people who make it go round, basically each serves a purpose, imagination does play a bigger role in a sense because it makes the object or thought more useful, like a basketball for instance, so you've created a ball, its round and bounces, but with creatitivy and imagination you were able to improvise and make a sport if not more i.e soccer, volleyball. Never Let ignorance control who you should favour but to respect and validate each model's contribution to society, that's the only way we can succeed as humans. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.58.6.252 (talk • contribs) 11:21, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Some of you did not understand the statement. "imagination is more important than knowledge" does not mean knowledge is not important is just less important, because without imagination you will not know how to make good use of the knowledge not matter how great the knowledge is. When you have both, imagination have to be greater. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 118.93.186.246 (talk • contribs) 07:19, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

That quote was absolutely beautiful. I almost teared up. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.206.183.154 (talk • contribs) 18:38, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

A child's imagination is infinite. Adult's knowledge is limited. darcsr ...

Hello This is a wide topic. Imagination often provokes us to create knowledge. Albert reveres imagination because he has a great mind. Whereas for most people imagination means things we can merely imagine. Such as in an ideal world or wishful thinking and clearly impossible dreams. Knowledge is different to imagining, it grows by deliberate experiments, development and experience. As distinct from an untried imagination. Imaginative ideas draw on knowledge for components and veracity to be feasible. My theory is isolation was the origin of the actual need for human imagination. Added 26 December 2010 signed wp.user:Thylagene.

Consider this: Imagination (fantasy) is the art to place knowledge in a form it has not been before. Which would make some form of knowledge nessesary to apply imagination. Knowledge can exist in many forms. In the universe knowledge exists as matter, advanced form of knowledge is advanced forms of matter. But the fact that there is evolution in this universe makes it a necessity that imagination is present even when no living creatures are around. Otherwise nature would not "know" what to create next. Evolution is the natural way imagination plays out. Which needs a place where knowledge can be naturally shuffled around through circumstances.

Albert's note can be taken in many ways. I take it that for humans, because his knowledge is limited, imagination is more important to be able to create the knowledge he craves. Otherwise imagination-knowledge is more of a chicken-egg relationship. Without knowledge there cannot be an imagination but if there is no imagination then there can not be any evolution meaning that there is no creation of knowledge. Everything would still be as it was billion of years before.Martin Lenoar 10:22, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

• Imagination is required to construct insightful theories to explain observational data. Most of the theories we can think of turn out to be incorrect, but through a process of examination and refinement, we eventually weed out the incorrect theories and arrive at the best surviving scientific model we can come up with. We need both imagination and analysis to carry this process forward. —Caprice 13:19, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

Imagination and Knowledge, both work synergistically, I would not dare try to make a distinction. Because disctintion, is an illusion, created by the filtrations and perceptions of the human brain. Illusions, mean you cannot see the truth, the truth of the universe. so I don't make distinctions. This applys to past, present, future... it applys to, time flys when you are having fun, or slowing down when doing a chore. I have Transended such things, I am in , some sort of limitation awareness, where I try and find the limit, yet never really do, and yet, sometimes I have to impose false limits, to come back down.....but, I must say, I love them both, just as well, and..I am happy.--Gaon Abhinava 13:30, 31 July 2011 (UTC)W V . Instructor, Survival Intelligence (S.I)

'A child can use Imagination, and Soar through the Courtyards of Castles built in the Rainbow Clouds, and an old man can use knowledge to abuse mankind. I try not to make distinction between the two, but Albert is right. This is why Imagination is more Important than knowledge, Go Albert, Go !--Gaon Abhinava 13:43, 31 July 2011 (UTC)'W V . Instructor, Survival Intelligence (S.I)

I would Like to thank , for his insightful, writings, without which, I probably would not have transcended to a higher consciousness, he says

"Think Big" pa+st + <-* + pre+sent -* + fut+ure/*-> (mind filtration)= mental = perception = MP/ so I did/ and here I am/ and now, "Time".... to do some wriing, right Now, soon, ok, w@ell somet/ime soo/n, m_a)ybe so.......lol... : ) --Gaon Abhinava 14:01, 31 July 2011 (UTC)W V . Instructor, Survival Intelligence (S.I)

In my own opinion, I would say 'imagination is knowledge' because 'knowledge' is acquired through imagination, meditation, processed information, research, which eventually translates into knowledge. Imagination is more important than Knowledge.I would say 'imagination is knowledge' because 'knowledge' is acquired through imagination, meditation, processed information, research, which eventually translates into knowledge. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 197.149.85.150 (talk • contribs) 06:15, 9 September 2016 (UTC)

Knowledge without imagination is Static. If all our knowledgeable scientists work on the principle that A = B then we would seldom learn anything new. However, the scientist with knowledge and imagination will say "I know that A = B, but what would happen if ?" He would then investigate the possibilities and thus may discover new answers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.147.81.177 (talk • contribs)

imagination is the construct for all development in the advances of science. science does always begin as one question but that question ceases to exist if imagination is not used. if someone were to think of an original question from their own mind then it is reasonable to say that they had to use their very own imagination to develop the question. it all begins as a mind with enough creativity to ask a question not many would ask themselves — Preceding unsigned comment added by ??? (talk • contribs)

• It seems that Grothendieck agrees with Einstein  :

  "What makes the quality of the researcher's inventiveness and imagination is the quality of his attention, listening to the voice of things. […] It takes a consummate flair to grasp and update new types of mathematical structures. This kind of imagination or ‘’flair’’ seems to me rare, not only among physicists (where Einstein and Schrödinger seem to have been among the rare exceptions), but even among mathematicians (and here I speak with full knowledge of the facts). To sum up, I predict that the expected renewal (if it has yet to come...) will come rather from a mathematician at heart, well informed about the great problems of physics, than from a physicist. But above all, it will take a man with ‘’philosophical openness’’ to grasp the crux of the problem. This is not a technical problem, but a fundamental problem of ‘’philosophy of nature’’ ". Alexander Grothendieck, LA CLEF DES SONGES.

  Claude Mariotti (discuss • contribs) 21:46, 7 February 2021 (UTC)

Did you notice that Einstein really has an immense amount of knowledge about physics and mathematics? He could say imagination is more important, because knowledge is not something lacking in him. For someone who has no knowledge, imagination is useless. Besides, imagination is never unlimited as some would imagine: it is very much limited by the world around us and by existing knowledge. If you checked out the famous science fictions by Isaac Asimov or other famous writers, you would find that no one was really able to imagine the current world. Their imagination was limited by what they knew. —Adah1972 (discuss • contribs) 03:08, 13 June 2021 (UTC)

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination

Upsc essay 45.248.56.102 (discuss) 06:42, 21 June 2022 (UTC)

Intelligence

sunflower perfume elizabeth arden wisdom is just as important as intelligence is just as important as wisdom for instance in natural selection as calvin klein one and orange new jersey just as the almighty god and most high gods and goddesses maria and shane figeroux......

200.7.90.175 (discuss) 04:35, 10 September 2023 (UTC)