GRE Issue Topic 119

Sample 1:

What would have happened if Thomas Alva Edison had not imagined a futuristic world in which there would be an electrical source of light? If the early man had not imagined a more comfortable life, the wheel would have never been invented. In order to progress ahead in life, one has to imagine what the future holds for him and then only can he plan his present. It is always your imagination that will lead you to success because imagination gives you an aim that can be achieved using the knowledge that you have acquired. Merely acquiring knowledge in any field does not ensure success in the long run. Your knowledge will remain limited to your books and memory if you do not effectively utilize it for giving a shape to your imagination. Therefore, it is true that imagination is more important than knowledge in almost every profession and in academic fields.

Imagination is crucial for success in any field. The theories of science and all related facts and figures are available as commonly known knowledge. However, path breaking discoveries and inventions are realized by only those who dare to imagine something that has never been thought of before. It was the Wright brothers’ imagination that led them to experimenting with traveling in air leading to the development of the first flight by a fixed-winged airplane. If they had not imagined such a thing, people would have probably never even thought that man can utilize fixed-wing aircraft as a reliable form of transport. The theories and knowledge related to science were available for everyone living in that time. However, it was the imagination of the Wright brothers that made them devise aircraft controls that facilitated the fixed-winged flight.

Another example exists in the professions related to the world of business. An enterprising business entrepreneur needs to imagine how he can change the face of his business before he utilizes the knowledge available with him for doing the same. Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world today. He started as a common man who had a vision of creating something that would change the world of software. Today almost every computer in the world has one or the other Microsoft application installed. This has been possible because Bill Gates had let his imagination run free and he later devised the tools for realizing his dreams.

Art is one such field where there is no scope for success without imagination. Painters, poets, writers etc. all have to imagine before they can put their thoughts on paper. Literary works by famous writers are by and large works of fiction that have stemmed from their imagination. J. K. Rowling is rolling in millions because she imagined a character called Harry Potter and authored a series of books that revolve around a fictional storyline. This book series catapulted her to instant fame and fortune in a short span of time. There are thousands of writers struggling to get a break, and the one who has actually succeed in becoming a multi-millionaire overnight is the one who utilized her imagination in the best possible manner. All painters have the knowledge that is required for mixing colors and creating designs on canvas, but the ones who have created a niche for themselves are the ones who have put their vivid imagination on canvas.

In view of the above, it is obvious that imagination is more important than knowledge for success in any field. This is because all people have easy access to knowledge and so one needs to be imaginative in order to leave the others behind and come up with something inspiring and useful for the society we live in.