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