Creative people Quote by Iain Banks
““We got talking about how some people were selfish and some weren’t, and the difference between right-wing people and left-wing people. You said it all came down to imagination. Conversative people don’t usually have very much, so they find it hard to imagine what life is like for people who aren’t just like them. They can only empathise with people just like they are: the same sex, the same age, the same class, the same golf club or nation or race or whatever. Liberals can pretty much empathise with anybody else, no matter how different they are. It’s all to do with imagination, empathy and imagination are almost the same thing, and it’s why artists, creative people, are almost all liberals, left-leaning." a character in The Steep Approach to Garbadale: Iain Banks.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks, 1999
The quote argues that political leanings stem from the capacity to imagine others' experiences, with liberals possessing broader empathy due to greater imaginative freedom.
In simple terms: Political views linked to imagination and empathy.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate imagination to broaden empathy.
Themes
politics
empathy
imagination
ideology
art
Mood
thoughtful
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- political debates
- cross‑cultural dialogue
- creative workshops
- education curricula
- media analysis
Key Concepts
psychology
social cognition
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does imagination influence political tolerance?
- Can empathy be taught without changing underlying beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Imagination alone may not overcome deep‑seated biases or structural inequalities.
