Why You Should Stop Your Quest To Be All-Knowing And Let Your Imagination Run Free
In a world where there isn’t anything we can’t Google, have we lost touch with that wondrous feeling of, well, wonder? As a generation with a reputation for questioning everything, have we lost the ability to simply just go with the flow?
Don’t get me wrong, I spend more of my day than I’d like to admit looking up that girl from that movie who did that cameo on that show no one can remember the name of, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make here.
We are a generation of immediate satisfaction. We want answers for today’s questions yesterday.
We know, that for any bit of intel we may not yet be aware of, there’s someone out there who does know. We are a shoot-to-kill generation, a mass of people who refuse to live in the dark. That's a beautiful thing, really.
Although, allow me to set the scene from a different angle: You’re walking along, no doubt updating your status on Facebook (“Susy is… walking aimlessly on a random street and likely about to walk into a pole because she’s temporarily forgotten to look up.”), and you come across a man shelling card tricks on the sidewalk.
He seems to know what he’s doing, which begs the question: What are his credentials?
Has he performed anywhere legit? Never mind that for now, you decide to check him out. A flick of the wrist, a sly smile and an unexpected finish have you momentarily in a trance. For that fleeting second, you’re lost in the moment and completely engaged -- but it’s all-too-brief, and our Gen-whY senses kick in all too fast.
Immediately, we get that pull -- that merciless tug in our gut, that calling from our very core that demands answers, lusting for an explanation. We need to know: Why? Why did that card come up instead of the one you thought you knew would get pulled? Why? Why? Why?
Ok, so it’s a natural reaction. Curiosity is healthy, most would say. But my point lies here: We get so few moments of blissful ignorance anymore, so little chance to just revel in the moment, ask no questions and just simply be.
Before you think I’m headed off onto a hippie tangent, think again. I’m the first person to research what I don’t know, the first to admit I like a background breakdown on just about anything and everything.
Our value of knowledge is indescribable. It keeps us going, moves us forward and arms us with what we need to make educated decisions.
All I’m saying is, every now and then, I’d like to think I could shut it all off and just enjoy what’s in front of me, without any subtitles or spoilers. Just let my brain take a breather and let my imagination wander.
After all, Albert Einstein once said,
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
There is no search engine for the future, and the best ideas haven't been thought of yet, but what I do know is this: Those ideas are going to be had by those with enough knowledge to know the value of an unhinged imagination.
So, the next time you see something you haven’t seen before, maybe just enjoy the feeling of the blank stare on your face and make up your own mind about it before resorting to someone else’s definition.
Who knows, your imagination might take you somewhere much more interesting.
Photo via We Heart It
