But I figured now was a good time to get back to it.
In case you missed the first post, you can check it out here: Value of Fiction: Entertainment
To talk about the series, it started based on the idea that I often feel like my creative pursuits don't have value. Because of this, I decided to think about different ways in which they are valuable.
Today, I'll be looking at the value of Imagination.
When you experience a story, be it through reading or through playing a tabletop game, you are given the opportunity to construct imaginary scenes and let the scenarios play out in your mind. So far as I am aware, most people do this naturally without prompting upon hearing a story. We map out locations in our minds. We come up with what characters look like, what they sound like. The more detail a storyteller provides, the more our imagination has to go off of with what it creates, but our imagination is still doing the creating, and is still filling in the gaps. No matter how detailed a storyteller is, there will still be gaps for our imagination to fill in.
In addition to that, our imaginations are inevitably tied to our ability to plan for our own futures in the real world. When we can imagine more, we can plan more. We can picture goals that are otherwise farther off, and we can better come up with ways of getting to those goals. These could be personal goals, professional goals, or goals oriented towards helping others and building a better future.
Related to planning for the future, not only does imagination help one to realize new goals and objectives, but it also aids in overcoming different obstacles that might occur. A greater imagination allows one to consider different challenges and otherwise unexpected circumstances that could be problematic to one's goals. Then, someone with a good imagination can set to imagining ways of overcoming these issues.
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| -Mark Twain |
When we use our imagination, we strengthen it just like any other skill or muscle. The stronger it is, the more we can imagine.
Reading or listening to a story that is already set out is a great way to do that. As I said, we already fill in all the details and create the scenes described in our own minds. But, it also goes beyond that. As stories explore new ideas, it may get us to imagine things beyond our day to day lives. These things might be the realistic experiences of people whose lives are just different from our own, they might be experiences based on theoretical science and technology that is currently developing, or it might even be fantastical scenarios of science fiction and fantasy that couldn't happen in real life. All of these stretch one's imagination further.
Beyond this, as we read and experience stories, we often feel for the fictitious characters. We get anxious or nervous about what might happen to them. We imagine possible future events in the story that we haven't even gotten to reading yet, as our minds try to piece together the whole. This further exercises our minds and imaginations.
Roleplaying games take the use of imagination a step further. Then, not only are players forced to imagine the story as the GM is describing it, but they also have to imagine how their character will react to the story. Players must imagine their character's personality, what their character knows, and other circumstances to determine how they will interact with the story itself. Players are also called upon to imagine what the results of their actions might be, as a pathway to make sure they are choosing the best choice to achieve their character's goals.
There are numerous studied benefits of having a good imagination. Studies show that it can improve perception, that it is linked to memory, and that it helps with cognitive development.
In addition to that, our imaginations are inevitably tied to our ability to plan for our own futures in the real world. When we can imagine more, we can plan more. We can picture goals that are otherwise farther off, and we can better come up with ways of getting to those goals. These could be personal goals, professional goals, or goals oriented towards helping others and building a better future.
Imagination is a key element to critical thinking. A greater imagination allows us to look at situations from multiple angles and perspectives. From this, we might recognize ways in which our own perspectives or ideals may have been misaligned with what is good or true. It also allows us to emphasize with others, have greater clarity, and overall think things through more effectively.
So, needless to say, imagination is important, and one of the values fiction has is the ability to help increase it.
There may be some overlap in future posts, since critical thinking and empathy are both future topics in the Value of Fiction series.
In other news, Heroism and Other Lies, Episode 102: Super Sexy Robots is set to release tomorrow. You can preorder an e-book copy over at smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/718324
Very important points, Doug! You mentioned several studies that show us the very real benefits of exercising our imaginations. I've read from a few sources now that reading stories and playing creative games like RPGs can also lead to increased empathy and socialization skills. Sometimes the stereotype is that people who are "lost" in a book or a game aren't able to relate to others, but chances are that is a very incorrect assumption. Like you mentioned, we are able to step outside ourselves and imagine how someone else is feeling when we engage in an outlet like that.
ReplyDeleteI have worried that in our culture, we often overlook the significance of imagination in general. Many daycares and schools shy away from allowing kids to just play and be kids, because they are so structured and concerned with educational aptitude. However, more studies are showing the significance of undirected creative play. Working in a daycare and as a nanny, I have noticed kids often being surprised by how fun a creative story or game can be. At a certain age, they tend to be reluctant to give something like that a try, because they tend to not know where to start. It's always cool seeing how they take over once I help them get the ball rolling. They tend to not realize how much potential they have to craft their own stories using their imaginations. I hope that future generations will continue to enjoy imaginative thinking, because the benefits truly are significant. :)
That is a good point about empathy and socialization! I'll actually be talking about empathy a lot more in a future "value of fiction" post!
DeleteVery cool. :)
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