The Einstein Business Conundrum: Imagination vs. Knowledge
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It is one of the most famous quotes from one of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers:
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
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When I think of this quote, particularly about the "imagination" part, I always think of another quote, that of the late U.S. Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy, who stated, "There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?"
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Imagination:
Imagination is a powerful force in life as it is in business. In Einstein’s case it allowed him to make some of the most remarkable scientific breakthroughs in history, breakthroughs which changed the way we think, and led to achievements thought impossible prior to his emergence onto the world stage. From his contributions in "The Manhattan Project," which brought an end to WWII without an invasion of the Japanese mainland (an invasion which experts believe could have resulted in up to 500,000 American casualties) to his "Theory of Relativity," Albert Einstein excelled in the theoretical. It was, yes, the ability to, to borrow the words of Robert Francis Kennedy, "dream of things that never were and ask ‘why not’?" It was the power to imagine!
There is no doubt that imagination is a driving force in business. It is the well-spring of new and better ideas. It is the catalyst and impetus for methods that let one business or businessperson excel over the competition. It is the spark which sets in motion ideas which are newer, better, more efficient, more aesthetic, more cost-efficient, more creative, more marketable, more profitable and more popular.
As businesspeople, imagination can allow us to do things such as:
- Create a clever marketing campaign which draws prospective clients away from the competition and to us
- Conceive of ideas which don’t yet exist and bring them to realization
- Find and develop niches
- Improve on existing ideas by making them more user-friendly, customer-oriented, efficient, effective and simplistic
- Present novel thoughts and ideas in blogs and business articles…thoughts and ideas which have the potential to capture the imagination of those who might hire us
- Present marketing tools such as websites and profiles which, through their creativity, draw clients to us and our businesseses
- Conceive of what the future might hold for our industry and profession and plan accordingly for the change to come
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Knowledge:
But what of knowledge? Sure Einstein had the insight and vision to imagine physical entities and ideas which were not even visible…those which were visible only in the theoretical and in the recesses of the parts of his brain which controlled imagination. Imagination is great, but where would Einstein be without a thorough knowledge, mastery in fact, of mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, electromagnetism and engineering? Would imagination alone have been enough to split the atom or conceive of things I don’t have the faintest understanding of such as relativity, quantum theory, the time-space continuum, wormholes and gravitational-redshift? It’s obvious that something else is necessary.
As businesspeople, knowledge allows us to do things such as:
- Learn and apply the basic fundamental principles inherent in our field of endeavor
- Perform work without, or with minimal mistakes and errors
- Remain up-to-date and relevant within our profession
- Adhere to professional standards
- Meet the expectations of those who entrust us by hiring us
- Present a product which consistently meets the highest level of quality
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My conclusion:
It is for me, uncomfortable, disquieting and unsettling to disagree with one of history’s greatest thinkers. But do so I must. Dear Albert, I believe you were wrong. Knowledge is the factor which allows us to succeed, be productive and excel in the profession in which we choose to practice. Imagination is the factor which allows us to find the creativity, vision and thought necessary to set ourselves apart from our competitors.
But rather than one being more important than the other, as you Mr. Einstein asserted, I believe that each is of equal importance and each, in equal doses, can provide a businessperson with all of the tools necessary to realize their dreams and find success.
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It doesn’t take a genius to realize that!
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