Ethics

Adopted from the book : "A Glance at the World of Youth" by : "Al-Balagh Foundation"

Imagination is another intellectual power which has positive, as well as, negative results, and its results return to man according to its usage. In its real sense, it is not an illusion, which controls man and distances him from reality and objectivity, but it is capable of changing into illusion and reverie, which controls man against reality. In the youth stage, the power of imagination activates and stimulates and with its positive outlook, it is the fundamental factor for invention and development. Because through imagination, the youths are able to carry out their technical and graphic works, thus, with imagination the door of invention and progress is opened.

Furthermore, through imagination one can create a new atmosphere different from his own, with the sense of change. Thus, imagination is the ladder and bridge which transforms man from a stagnant atmosphere to a living one that accepts changes and inventions. But, lack of objective experience, in the youths, and the absence of guidance and encouragement from parents or friends and relatives, or the mass media, causes a negative effect and this causes imagination to start working in the generation of youths through their thinking about their future aims like studies, how to live, marriage... etc.

Consequently, the youth starts to decieve himself, by creating things for his future which are not possible and far from reality, as well as, his becoming frustrated whenever his dreams and imagnations fail and do not produce his expected results. Hence, it is necessary to provide the youths with real experiences and knowledge, as well as, warning them against this realty, and guiding them toward the real imagination.

How beneficial is this advice of Imam Ali (a.s.) in which he (a.s.) encourages the use of experiences to his son Imam Hasan (a.s.) when he says, "...so I hastened to mold you properly before your heart hardened up and your mind became occupied, so that you might be ready to accept, through your intelligence, the results of the experience of others and be saved from going through these experiences yourself. In this way, you would avoid the hardship of seeking them and the difficulties of experimenting. Thus, you are getting to know what we had experienced and even those things are becoming clear to you which we might have missed." 18

Notes :

18. al-Harrani, Tuhf-ul Uqul an Aali al-Rasul, page 70.