If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
It is eminently a weariable faculty, eminently delicate, and incapable of bearing fatigue; so that if we give it too many objects at a time to employ itself upon, or very grand ones for a long time together, it fails under the effort, becomes jaded, exactly as the limbs do by bodily fatigue, and incapable of answering any farther appeal till it has had rest.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool; it gives me all the world and exiles me from it.
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b.1929) American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer
Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought.
—Unknown
Imagination is the air of mind.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Our imagination flies; we are its shadow on the earth.
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977) Russian-born American Novelist
Reality can be beaten with enough imagination.
—Unknown
By visualizing your goals, you can get your subconscious to work toward making these mental pictures come true.
—Unknown
If you clearly and vividly IMAGINE yourself in the first person doing, being, having the things and qualities you truly want… then you will be using positive imagination to begin a change to fulfilling that image.
—Unknown
Study the situation thoroughly, go over in your imagination the various courses of action possible to you and the consequences which can and may follow from each course. Pick out the course which gives the most promise and go ahead.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he isn’t. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.
—Unknown
It is usually the imagination that is wounded first, rather than the heart; it being much more sensitive.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing.
—Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939) American Businessperson
The man who has no imagination has no wings.
—Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) American Sportsperson
Live out of your imagination, not your history.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
The imagination is man’s power over nature.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American Poet
A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and many others; the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own. The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
It is better to be high-spirited, even though one makes more mistakes, than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent. It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love, is well done.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
You gave me the key of your heart, my love; then why did you make me knock? Oh that was yesterday, saints above! And last night—I changed the lock!
—John Boyle O’Reilly (1844–90) Irish-American Journalist, Political Agitator
The mind must see visual achievement of the purpose before action is initiated.
—Mack R. Douglas
Let your imagination release your imprisoned possibilities.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
A fool-proof method for sculpting an elephant: first, get a huge block of marble; then you chip away everything that doesn’t look like an elephant.
—Unknown
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
—Carl Sagan (1934–96) American Astronomer
The mind’s direction is more important than its progress.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to popular belief, is more powerful in the mature than the young.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.
—Jack Nicklaus (b.1940) American Sportsperson
Imagination is always the fabric of social life and the dynamic of history. The influence of real needs and compulsions, of real interests and materials, is indirect because the crowd is never conscious of it.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.
—Jules Verne (1828–1905) French Novelist
When the sun rises, do you not see a round disc of fire somewhat like a guinea? O no, no, I see an innumerable company of the heavenly host crying Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher