Is Imagination Linked to Curiosity?
Based on a few threads going on around here, I'm trying to figure out if having an imagination is linked to being curious. So here's a poll-
Any extra information about your own imagination (how you use it) or curiosity (why/how often it is triggered) would be great. Thanks.
Edited to be more clear (thanks for telling me AceofKnaves) -
Yes I meant is your imagination stimulated by things you don't know.
For instance - do you try to work through a problem in your head, looking for an answer? Or do you maybe read an article about something and then start imagining all kinds of things about how that thing may be, maybe including yourself in a storyline with it? Or do you try to imagine the future (your own or the world in general)? Do you create things (art, inventions)? Or use it to improve a business situation? Things like that. Generally, does not knowing something trigger your imagination?
Or Conversely, when you imagine things, do you generally stick to what you have experienced, or something close to it - like imagining going home if you are feeling stressed, or remembering good or bad times you've had. Or replaying an event in your head with minor changes, such as only different words were said, ect.?
Last edited by wozeree on 31 Oct 2013, 12:04 am, edited 2 times in total.
btbnnyr
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This is verry merry berry interesting question.
For curiosity, I use common definition of wanting to know.
For imagination, harder to define, but I use my eggsperience of having new idears pop into my mind in form of 1) picture that is something concrete, like stimulus screen for new eggsperiment or artwork that I want to make, or 2) picture that is representation of abstract concept, or 3) abstract concept connecting many details that is like big network in my mind.
For me, relationship between curiosity and imagination is like I want to know how something works, and I imagine in my mind how it might work in this way A or this way B or this way C, etc etc etc, and many of these imaginations are images popping up fast one on top of another, and one of them sticks and stops the popup process, and that is the one that I prioritize to pursue asap. Basically, my imagination is literally flashes of insight until one of them attracts enough attention as a good idear to obsess over, moar moar moar.
My imagination is mostly non-narrative, non-social, non-communicative, not involving myself, but the objects and concepts that I am interested in.
From developmental perspective, I was always verry merry berry curious, like interested in reading all I could about special interest topics and wanting more knowledge, and that is still the same as adult, but developmental change was greater importance of imagining unknown things on my own vs. getting knowledge from others in books/papers/classes, so imagining things based on what I know makes up greater percentage of my thoughts and actions, and I don't read as much as I used to, and when I read, it is mostly to get knowledge as efficiently as possible about new topic, so I can have enough knowledge to imagine and inquire, as opposed to really enjoying the getting knowledge part as I used to, and ackshuly, I don't enjoy reading as much as I did when I was a child, and another change was my imagination became broader and more able to connect many different idears from different and unrelated areas.
Also, it is now much more necessary for me to convert what I imagine (thoughts) into what I do (actions), while earlier in life, I was content to think about things.
Oh yeah, now I remember this picture I made based on an Einstein quote:
_________________
Drain and plane and grain and blain your brain, and then again,
Propane and butane out of the gas main, your blain shall sustain!
^^^^^^ That is a beautiful picture.
For me imagination is linked to being curious.
I'm very curious. I like to read about other people's ideas and look at artwork and things that other people created.
When I read interesting things and look at interesting things, then I start thinking of my own ideas and creative solutions to things.
I think maybe I am curious because curiosity about things makes me think in a creative way and I love thinking like that.
btbnnyr - This is a very nice response and I love that picture! You are really great with both words and graphics.
[/quote]Also, it is now much more necessary for me to convert what I imagine (thoughts) into what I do (actions), while earlier in life, I was content to think about things.[quote]
I really have to get better at taking actions. How do you do it?
The responses I got here were pretty much like the ones I got from people at work, it seems my theory is going in the right direction, that imagination and curiosity are linked, but I think both sample groups are too small for a definitive answer. Thanks for all the input!