Georg C. Lichtenberg: Imagination For Poor
on Friday, August 17, 2018Georg C. Lichtenberg Money Quote saying the poor must imagine pleasure and possessions because they lack the means to buy them in reality. Georg C. Lichtenberg said:
“The pleasures of the imagination are as it were only drawings and models which are played with by poor people who cannot afford the real thing” — Georg C. Lichtenberg
Share the Georg C. Lichtenberg Money quote image above on your site:
Short Link to this Quote:
In this quote, Georg C. Lichtenberg seems to be comparing imagination and artistic works to real-life experiences. He suggests that pleasures derived from imagination through things like drawings, paintings, stories or poetry are akin to “models which are played with by poor people”.
The implication is that for those who cannot afford luxuries or travel, imagining experiences through art serves as a substitute for interacting with the real world. But it remains a pale imitation compared to experiencing things firsthand.
The overall interpretation is that Lichtenberg is drawing a distinction between the enjoyment one can find in imaginative works, versus the presumably richer experiences available to those who can afford to engage with the world directly rather than just envisioning it through representations according to his view.
Birthday: July 1, 1742 – February 24, 1799