Why its important to have an empathetic imagination
motivate
so
albert einstein once said that
imagination
is everything it is the preview
of life’s upcoming attractions i often
think about this quote
because i truly believe that imagination
is the mystical power that runs the
world today
everything from the toothbrush we use
when we wake up in the morning
to the lamp we switch off when we go to
bed is a
product of somebody’s imagination
everything that is real was imagined
first and we’re all in a way living the
reality
of someone else’s conception
but this power of imagination it’s not
exclusive or limited to some people
imagination it’s within us within
each and every one of us sitting here
today while we
gain knowledge in school imagination
acts as a catalyst
that enables us to acquire more
knowledge and use it in more creative
ways
it is because of this power that we were
able to transform a rock
into a spear fashion that spear into a
bow
and that bow into a gun
it is because of this power that we were
able to transform a mere idea into
blueprints
use those blueprints to lay down the
foundations
and use those foundations to build the
breathtaking skyscrapers we see
all around us today i mean
really think about it would we have the
opportunity
of watching such great films and great
stories come to play on screen
if artists can think of alternative
worlds in their heads
i mean where would we all be right now
if someone hadn’t imagined a way for all
of us to see each other
and hear each other even though we may
be thousands of kilometers away
you see ladies and gentlemen survival in
society
is based upon two preconceived notions
the first being
innovation powered by imagination
but can anyone guess what the other one
is
it’s something that our world is in dire
need of
anyone the answer may surprise you
but it’s empathy empathy at its simplest
is the awareness of the feelings and
emotions of other people it really is
the key ingredient when it comes to
emotional intelligence
now i guarantee that no one sitting here
today would have recognized me
when i was in the eighth grade i used to
be this very
anxious and self-conscious 13 year old
boy
now mind you i was still studious and i
still believed
that i had these amazing ideas by which
my schooling experience could
drastically improve
yet i could never voice them
it was as if my voice was snatched away
by this cloud of treacherous
insecurities
so every day i used to go on with the
mundanity of modern life
knowing very well that it never had to
be that way
until one day until one day ladies and
gentlemen a teacher
waltzed into my class let’s call this
teacher
mr t so this mysterious mr t
barged into my class and asked does
anyone
wanted to participate in an inter-school
debate competition
now this was the opportunity of a
lifetime
and i really really wanted to
participate but there was this opposing
force
in my head going against the very will
of my excitement
and i just couldn’t get myself to raise
my hand
up and in that moment i fought with the
supposing force
and i tried to explain to it the value
of this amazing
opportunity but all in vain
as i simply could not muster up the
courage
to speak but
in that moment i heard mr t’s
booming voice again he said aryan
what about you would you like to
participate
and i swear in that moment i was so
scared because i truly thought to myself
can teachers hear our voices
i did not want to think of that any
further
and in that moment i immediately said
yes
on the first day of my practice i could
barely get a word out
much of the frustration and anger of my
teammates but mr t
he was patient he was kind
he was determined to help me improve
he spent days and hours teaching me the
right techniques
sharing personal anecdotes and to be
honest he understood my dilemma
like no other before my interactions
with him
took me back to the summer vacations i
spent with my grandmother in
india in these brief interactions
i used to notice my grandmother played
the role of a friend
a confidant and even a teacher with her
house help shanti
and i used to notice that my grandmother
used to teach shanti
small things such as how to pick the
right grains and vegetables
how to wash them properly and how to
fashion those into an amazing dish
and i always used to think to myself why
was
my grandmother doing this with so much
love
so much patience so much kindness and so
much empathy
shanti wasn’t even family now
although my grandmother has passed away
her initiative
empowered shanti to pursue cooking as a
full-time
viable business and she would go on to
become one of the most famous freelance
cooks
in my locality you see my grandmother’s
ability
to envision a better life for shanti not
only resonated with her
but it also resonated with me a mere
spectator of this dynamic
and this exactly this ladies and
gentlemen
is the power of empathy
similarly i saw the value in mr t’s
belief
and tenacity in me his ability to
envision a better and more fearless
version of
me and over time i was able to master
all the lessons he taught me and do my
school proud
in numerous debating and public speaking
locations
including this one now you see
all of these experiences taught me that
every node every smile
every interaction every laugh can bring
about a change
on someone else’s day you see ladies and
gentlemen the fact of the matter is that
our
brains are fundamentally divided into
these two portions that really define
who we are and who we become as
individuals
on one side you have the imaginative
brain
it’s the side that works to create
innovative solutions to the world’s
biggest
problems it’s the site that created the
telephone
it’s the site that created the light
bulb it’s a site that created
the gun it’s the side that created the
world on your fingertips
but you see there is another side
to your brain and it’s one that we often
neglect it’s the side that
allows us to walk a mile in someone
else’s shoes
and this side this empathetic
side is really what breeds these
innovations
and affects each and every one of us on
every conceivable level
it is because of joseph swann’s ability
to metaphorically
and later literally see the light at the
end of the tunnel
that he laid down the foundational work
for the light bulb
it is because of your parents ability to
empathize with your deepest feelings and
emotions
that you possess everything that you
hold today
across generations we’ve been blessed
with the ability to build an empathetic
imagination
and we can choose to wield our influence
in a positive way
and strive to empower everyone around us
we can create a deeper understanding of
the world we can
create deeper and more meaningful
relationships
meaningful connections and links are
things that we all crave for
and by promoting an empathetic
imagination we might be able to achieve
a world
that is inspiring achieve a world
that is imaginative and achieve a world
that is empowering
this is the ideal world a world
that i strive to create thank you very
much