IMAGINATION AS A SOURCE OF ERROR

Imagination is one powerful faculty in man. But it is a great source of error and falsehood. It is an impostor, which makes it difficult to detect its deceitfulness. It is most often false but occasionally true which confuses us as to its true character. And here we are talking of the imagination of the wisest men. 

Imagination is so dominant, it always goes against reason and often overwhelms reason. It is a haughty faculty that establishes a second nature in man. It is the master that tells man to believe reason, to deny it or revolt against it. It can command us to act out of feeling rather than what we perceive. And men who satisfy the imagination get the greatest satisfaction in this world. Reason gives little satisfaction. So people with a wild imagination are more self-satisfied than reasonable men. 

The imaginative man argues more boldly and confidently while the reasonable man, meekly and deliberately, which gives the imaginative man an advantage in the minds of the audience. 

So the imaginative man, full of self-esteem, feels he is wise and gives the same impression to an audience that is also imaginative.

Imagination can never make anyone wise; but it can make one self-satisfied which can only make him feel more miserable. 

(updated 08-23-02)