--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imaginary things were often the only…" description: "\"“Imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.”\" — Brandon Sanderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/brandon-sanderson-112_brandon-sanderson_imaginary-things-were-often-the-only-ite_153009.jpg" --- # Imaginary things were often the only items of real… ![“Imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/brandon-sanderson-112_brandon-sanderson_imaginary-things-were-often-the-only-ite_153009.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/brandon-sanderson-112_brandon-sanderson_imaginary-things-were-often-the-only-ite_153009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/brandon-sanderson-112_brandon-sanderson_imaginary-things-were-often-the-only-ite_153009.jpg) > ““Imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imaginary concepts often provide the only genuine substance in people’s lives. **In simple terms:** Fiction can be the most real part of existence. Key Takeaway Embrace imagination as a source of meaning. Themes imagination reality meaning psychology Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - reading novels - daydreaming - creative writing Key Concepts fantasy existentialism creativity Questions to Reflect On - How does imagination influence your daily decisions? - When does fantasy become escapism? A Different Perspective Relying on imagination may detach from practical life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brandon-sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brandon-sanderson/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Imaginary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-things/) [Items](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/items/) [Items Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/items-real-1698233/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Substance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-substance-1698232/) [Substance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substance/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Warbreaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warbreaker-203377/) ## Related quotes > [“But he’d found that imaginary things were often the only items of real substance in people’s lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-he-d-found-that-imaginary-things-were-often-the-only-items-of/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath become yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-become-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Lightsong met the man's eyes, then smiled broadly, looking down at the God King. "My life to yours," Lifesong said. "My breath become yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/lightsong-met-the-man-s-eyes-then-smiled-broadly-looking-down-at-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The Hallandren sent those soldiers in to kill. Kill the poor that they created. We're going to stop them from doing things like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-hallandren-sent-those-soldiers-in-to-kill-kill-the-poor-that-they/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“They push us into it, Lightsong thought. 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I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! 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You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. 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Don't worry. I'm here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/oh-storms-that-was-awful-no-it-was-funny-you-seem-to-get-those-two/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“When has any man ever been content with what he has? When has any tyrant said to himself, 'This is enough'?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/when-has-any-man-ever-been-content-with-what-he-has-when-has-any/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Definitely not—you optimists just can't understand that a depressed person doesn't want you to try and cheer them up. 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