| | | influences; development of | | | | will-power. | +----------------+-------------+-------------------------------------+ | | | Thoughtful mental | | REFLECTIVE | 16 to 24 | attitude; habit of introspection; | | | Later | evolution of | | | Adolescence | sociological consciousness; | | | | development of altruism; | | | | growth of ethical concepts; | | | | perfection of will-power. | +----------------+-------------+-------------------------------------+ During the imaginative period covering infancy, from birth to eight years, the child lives in a land of air castles, daydreams and mental inventions, interspersed with periodic pangs of hunger which assail him at intervals of great frequency. His world is peopled with fairies, gnomes, nymphs, dryads, goblins, and hobgoblins. Elfin images are his daily playmates. Imagination runs riot and dominates his viewpoint. It is the period in which make-believe is as real as reality, and this furnishes the explanation of many of the so-called falsehoods of this age. But the development of the imagination should be guarded, not suppressed. Through imagination we visualize the future and effect world progress. All the great inventions which have advanced civilization, the political reforms which have contributed to our liberties and happiness, and the monumental works of literature, music, art, and science, would have been impossible without the exercise of the imaginative faculty. Imagination is not only of great value in educating the intellect and morals, but it is a desirable mental attribute which promotes sympathy, discloses latent possibilities of things and situations, and broadens one’s appreciation of life. It is needed by the laborer, ditch-digger and sewer-cleaner as well as by the musician, artist, and author.