subject: Napoleon Hill And Imagination [print this page] Napoleon Hill, commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, wrote his book Think and Grow Rich after studying hundreds of vastly wealthy people. The next concept I'd like to introduce is IMAGINATION and why he said that it is so important to becoming successful. Now most people envy this quality in others, and there appears to be a reason. From IMAGINATION, it has been said, mankind can create anything. Is that possible? Napoleon Hill believed this is absolutely true. Through IMAGINATION, he says our impulses and desires are given shape, form, and action.
Though people have huge potential for using their imaginations, Hill says there are limitations in most folks because of the lack of development of this capacity. He says people use it in a very elementary way. I like to compare it to the way children draw stick figures, compared to the accomplished artist who captures the essence of a whole scene including the mood of each individual in it.
In his book, Mr. Hill introduces two different types of imagination. One is "synthetic" and the other is "creative." He describes "synthetic" imagination as merely the capacity to work with old information from experience, education, and observation (again such as drawing stick figures). It creates nothing really, but it is useful for planning or arranging ideas and concepts. Now in using "creative" imagination, the finite person has direct communication with the infinite. This is how hunches and inspirations are received! Use your own imagination right now to think of how it must have been for the famous painter Pierre-Auste Renoir when creating"Luncheon of the Boating Party" or "Bal au Moulin de la Galette". He could never have painted all those expressions showing the various emotions without creative imagination. Napoleon Hill believed that this state of mind is where new ideas are handed over to humans. Like the Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung, he believed that people communicate this way to receive messages from the unconscious minds of other men and women. Jung used the term "collective unconscious" in describing his similar theory. Hill said that people can develop this capacity.
How does this help me, you might ask? And why isn't my "synthetic" imagination good enough? It IS good enough for now, and you need to concentrate on that first, because your "synthetic" imagination needs to work on a plan to increase and transform your "DESIRE." Work with what you have first until you learn ALL 13 of the concepts and principles of Mr. Hill's book and you will eventually understand how to use and develop your "creative" imagination as well.
For more information about how to do that, you may want to seek out Napoleon Hill's book at the library or Online explaining these concepts in detail, and you may go to to find out more about how truly successful people develop themselves and add value to the lives of others in the process.
