--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Through imagination, we can visit the…" description: "\"Through imagination, we can visit the past, contemplate the present, and anticipate the future. We can also do something else of profound and unique si..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/ken-robinson-2219_anticipate_through-imagination-we-can-visit-the-pas_1941722.png" --- # Through imagination, we can visit the past, contemplate… ![“Through imagination, we can visit the past, contemplate the present, and anticipate the future. We can also do something else of profound and unique significance. We can create.” quote by Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/ken-robinson-2219_anticipate_through-imagination-we-can-visit-the-pas_1941722.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/ken-robinson-2219_anticipate_through-imagination-we-can-visit-the-pas_1941722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/ken-robinson-2219_anticipate_through-imagination-we-can-visit-the-pas_1941722.png) > “Through imagination, we can visit the past, contemplate the present, and anticipate the future. We can also do something else of profound and unique significance. We can create.” [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagination lets us explore time and create uniquely significant works. **In simple terms:** Imagination enables time travel and creation. Key Takeaway Use imagination to innovate and create. Themes imagination creativity temporal perspective Mood inspired creative Type visionary motivational When to use this quote - designing new curricula - writing speculative fiction - inventing products Key Concepts creative thinking future‑oriented design artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What can you create today? - How does imagination influence your decisions? A Different Perspective Imagination alone may not guarantee practical results. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anticipate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anticipate/) [Contemplate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplate/) [Contemplate Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplate-present-3098239/) [Contemplating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplating/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Visit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-visit-3098238/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Contemplate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-contemplate-3098240/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) ## Related quotes > [She wanted to leave, she wanted to lie alone face down on her bed and savor the vile piquancy of the moment, and go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/she-wanted-to-leave-she-wanted-to-lie-alone-face-down-on-her-bed-and/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Free time is my enemy. I recognized early on I'm not a guy who should have a lot of time to contemplate the mysteries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/free-time-is-my-enemy-i-recognized-early-on-i-m-not-a-guy-who-should/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [Nothing is inevitable if we are willing to contemplate what is happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/nothing-is-inevitable-if-we-are-willing-to-contemplate-what-is/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Midlife is the time to let go of an overdominant ego and to contemplate the deeper significance of human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/midlife-is-the-time-to-let-go-of-an-overdominant-ego-and-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I contemplate God, the more God looks on me. The more I pray to him, the more he thinks of me too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/the-more-i-contemplate-god-the-more-god-looks-on-me-the-more-i-pray/) [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/) > [The universe is the mirror in which we can contemplate only what we have learned to know in ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-universe-is-the-mirror-in-which-we-can-contemplate-only-what-we/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Let man then contemplate the whole of nature in her full and grand majesty... No idea approaches it. We may enlarge our conceptions beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/let-man-then-contemplate-the-whole-of-nature-in-her-full-and-grand/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Like most musicians, Im good at becoming immersed in the music that I am currently working on. We seldom lift up our heads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-levin/like-most-musicians-im-good-at-becoming-immersed-in-the-music-that-i/) [Tony Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-levin/) > [ \[When nature appears complicated:\] The moment we contemplate it as it is, and attain a position from which we can take a commanding view,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-herschel/when-nature-appears-complicated-the-moment-we-contemplate-it-as-it-is/) [John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-herschel/) > [Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/nothing-makes-the-future-look-so-rosy-as-to-contemplate-it-through-a/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [ \[The lion\] began to contemplate me with a kind of quiet premeditation, like that of a slow-witted man fondling an unaccustomed thought. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/the-lion-began-to-contemplate-me-with-a-kind-of-quiet-premeditation/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [“The value of anything is only relative in the moment of contemplating it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/the-value-of-anything-is-only-relative-in-the-moment-of-contemplating/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [So many hours must I take my rest; So many hours must I contemplate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/so-many-hours-must-i-take-my-rest-so-many-hours-must-i-contemplate/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The two hardest things to contemplate in life ... are failure and age; those are one and the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-two-hardest-things-to-contemplate-in-life-are-failure-and-age/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have actually seen people contemplate their navels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heilpern/i-have-actually-seen-people-contemplate-their-navels/) [John Heilpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heilpern/) ## More by Ken Robinson > [“Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/shakespeare-s-hamlet-there-is-nothing-either-good-or-bad-but-thinking/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [“As humanity becomes more numerous and interwoven, living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/as-humanity-becomes-more-numerous-and-interwoven-living-respectfully/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [In a world where lifelong employment in the same job is a thing of the past, creativity is not a luxury. It is essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/in-a-world-where-lifelong-employment-in-the-same-job-is-a-thing-of/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [“For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail - it’s just the opposite - we aim too low…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/for-most-of-us-the-problem-isn-t-that-we-aim-too-high-and-fail-it-s/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [Very often, organizations are inflexible because there is too little communication between functions; they are too segregated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/very-often-organizations-are-inflexible-because-there-is-too-little/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects: at the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/every-education-system-on-earth-has-the-same-hierarchy-of-subjects-at/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [“We are all born with extraordinary powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality, and of physical and sensory awareness. (p.9)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/we-are-all-born-with-extraordinary-powers-of-imagination-intelligence/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [You create your life, and you can recreate it, too. In times of economic downturn and uncertainty, it's more important than ever to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/you-create-your-life-and-you-can-recreate-it-too-in-times-of-economic/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [“I asked a professor of nanotechnology what they use to measure the unthinkable small distances of nanospace? He said it was the nanometre. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/i-asked-a-professor-of-nanotechnology-what-they-use-to-measure-the/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [We need to eliminate the existing hierarchy of subjects. Elevating some disciplines over others only reinforces outmoded assumptions of industrialism and offends the principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/we-need-to-eliminate-the-existing-hierarchy-of-subjects-elevating/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [Too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they are capable of achieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/too-many-people-never-connect-with-their-true-talents-and-therefore/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [You can't just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/you-can-t-just-give-someone-a-creativity-injection-you-have-to-create/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/the-fact-is-that-given-the-challenges-we-face-education-doesn-t-need/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [Private imaginings may have no outcomes in the world at all. Creativity does. Being creative involves doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/private-imaginings-may-have-no-outcomes-in-the-world-at-all/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) > [“Public schools were not only created in the interests of industrialism—they were created in the image of industrialism. In many ways, they reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/public-schools-were-not-only-created-in-the-interests-of/) [Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) [Explore all 170 Ken Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/) ## More Anticipate quotes > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I like to do everything you can possibly do before you go into rehearsal, because once we are in rehearsal or on the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/i-like-to-do-everything-you-can-possibly-do-before-you-go-into/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [The problem with merely writing so that you can be understood is that the wrong people, in advancing their agendas, are only too ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/the-problem-with-merely-writing-so-that-you-can-be-understood-is-that/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [I am curious to know what would happen if art were suddenly seen for what it is, namely, exact information of how to rearrange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/i-am-curious-to-know-what-would-happen-if-art-were-suddenly-seen-for/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The very best financial presentation is one that's well thought out and anticipates any questions... answering them in advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/the-very-best-financial-presentation-is-one-that-s-well-thought-out/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [What's interesting about art in public spaces is that the public really sort of takes over and uses it in ways that you didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresita-fernandez/what-s-interesting-about-art-in-public-spaces-is-that-the-public/) [Teresita Fernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresita-fernandez/) > [The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-great-mistake-is-to-anticipate-the-outcome-of-the-engagement-you/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [If you don't sow your field what harvest other than thorns and weeds can you anticipate?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-you-don-t-sow-your-field-what-harvest-other-than-thorns-and-weeds/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Leaders' careers will usually be determined by their handling of one or two critical events that no one could possibly anticipate or plan for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/leaders-careers-will-usually-be-determined-by-their-handling-of-one/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I wish I could anticipate some of the stories and lies that will be told. It's going to be great to get everyone together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-conley/i-wish-i-could-anticipate-some-of-the-stories-and-lies-that-will-be/) [Larry Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-conley/) > [The two revolutions, I mean the annual revolutions of the declination and of the centre of the Earth, are not completely equal; that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/the-two-revolutions-i-mean-the-annual-revolutions-of-the-declination/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) > [In two or three hundred years life on earth will be unimaginably beautiful, astounding. 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