Image prohibition

[Maxell]

Ex. 20:
4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

Someone say this only means images made because worship. Is it true? Some Jews believe, is it meaning all the pictures is prohibit. If so for what reason? Because man is weak and can easily worship them? Or some other reason? What i understand we all the time made pictures in our mind with our eyes, so why worry about some paintings?

[Drashi]

The verb forms speak of 3D images that are so alike that you cannot tell the difference. The Worshipping of any manifestation falls under the category of an Elohim Acharim and that is a seperate issue - the idea here is considering a representation as being the real thing or even treating it as such is forbidden.

I personally don't know of any Jews, even Chareidim who don't have any pictures where they dwell, and I live in an observant Jewish community in Israel.