Posted on 10/25/2012 9:31:42 AM PDT by Salvation
Featured Term (selected at random):
Gratifying reveries usually of wish fulfillment. They are images permitted to arise and linger in one's mind for the purpose of giving oneself the illusion of living a life different from real life and to experience whatever sensations may be connected with such an illusion. A person looks for in fantasy what he or she desires in reality, or the thing is not yet attainable (as with the young) or no longer attainable (as with the old).
Daydreams are to be judged morally according to their content and the purpose one has in conjuring up these fancies. To take willful pleasure in wrong things created by the imagination is sinful, e.g., acts of revenge. But even if their content is not improper, daydreams represent a waste of time and energy; they tend to weaken one's character, diminish moral strength and will to pursue the real and possible goals of life, and they prevent the individual from becoming a more useful member of society.
Catholic Word of the Day Ping!
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All of mankind's marvelous schievements begin as daydreams.
as in “Sister Jane Francis used to rap my desk with s ruler and chastise me for having daydreams in class”.
It's the latter ones that people need to worry about - not only the dreams of revenge as noted in the CE entry, but also dreams of the Walter Mitty type that function as a substitute for action or an escape from reality. In that case if unchecked, the fantasy eventually devours your life. But the useful ones are the kind that you mention - that spur one to take action in reality, whether that's inventing something new or writing a poem or novel. Which was of course where Lewis was going with that. His day job was in medieval & Renaissance literature - which involves sitting around and thinking (and writing) about people who sat around and thought and wrote.
Probably not fair to call them daydreams because it's too easy to confuse them with the harmful kind. "Creative thinking" or "inspiration" might be a better name.
Good post. If all your imaginary dialogue ends up as a novel, it wasn’t “daydreaming.”
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