--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Experience teaches that when the will and…" description: "\"Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are in conflict, the imagination usually wins. What we imagine may defeat our reason and make us ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/joseph-b-wirthlin-822_body_experience-teaches-that-when-the-will-an_2941537.png" --- # Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are… ![“Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are in conflict, the imagination usually wins. What we imagine may defeat our reason and make us slaves to what we taste, see, hear, smell, and feel in the mind's eye. The body is indeed the servant of the mind.” quote by Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/joseph-b-wirthlin-822_body_experience-teaches-that-when-the-will-an_2941537.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/joseph-b-wirthlin-822_body_experience-teaches-that-when-the-will-an_2941537.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/joseph-b-wirthlin-822_body_experience-teaches-that-when-the-will-an_2941537.png) > “Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are in conflict, the imagination usually wins. What we imagine may defeat our reason and make us slaves to what we taste, see, hear, smell, and feel in the mind's eye. The body is indeed the servant of the mind.” [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When desire and reason clash, imagination often dominates, making us slaves to sensory fantasies; the body serves the mind. **In simple terms:** Imagination can overpower reason, controlling the body. Key Takeaway Cultivate disciplined imagination. Themes willpower imagination mind‑body Mood thoughtful inspirational Type spiritual self‑help When to use this quote - creative work - decision making - habit formation - stress management Key Concepts philosophy psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How do you align imagination with rational goals? - What practices keep your mind grounded? A Different Perspective Imagination without restraint can lead to escapism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Conflict Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-imagination-946951/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-conflict-4312465/) [Imagination Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-usually-622235/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Indeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indeed/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Servant Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant-mind-4387196/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Teaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaches/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Wins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wins/) ## Related quotes > [“Emile Coue pointed out that, “When the imagination and the will are in conflict, the imagination always wins.” If you ‘will’ yourself to remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-horsley/emile-coue-pointed-out-that-when-the-imagination-and-the-will-are-in/) [Kevin Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-horsley/) > [A man is one whose body has been trained to be the ready servant of his mind; whose passions are trained to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/a-man-is-one-whose-body-has-been-trained-to-be-the-ready-servant-of/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The past slips from our grasp. 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