Why did humans evolve an imagination?

Asked by: Zachary Beattie, Kenilworth

Imagination underlies our ability to anticipate different futures and to reflect on alternative pasts. Arguably, it’s what distinguishes us most profoundly from other animals. It means we can learn from past experiences (“If I’d taken a spear with me, I could have caught the deer”) and we can hypothesise about the possible outcomes of future scenarios (“If I trek across the desert without any food or water, I will get hungry and thirsty”). This makes us incredibly adaptive and is the secret to our superlative planning and problem-solving skills. Once imagination evolved, it also unlocked the gifts of storytelling, fantasy and wonder.

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