I have never distinguished readily between thinking and dreaming. I know my life would be much different if I could ever say, This I have learned from my senses, while that I have merely imagined.
The quote from Marilynne Robinson's "Housekeeping" reflects on the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination. The speaker expresses a struggle to separate tangible experiences from the dreams that shape their perception. This confusion suggests that both thinking and dreaming influence their understanding of life, indicating that imagination plays a crucial role in shaping one’s reality.
By stating that their life would be different if they could clearly distinguish between learned experiences and imagined ones, the speaker highlights the importance of sensory experiences in grounding reality. This sentiment underscores a broader theme of the interplay between imagination and sensory perception in forming identity and understanding the world.
