--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was always fascinated with the idea…" description: "\"I was always fascinated with the idea that an imaginary friend was the perfect friend that a child created, and I wanted to play with the idea of a rol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/dan-santat-64253_children_i-was-always-fascinated-with-the-idea-th_2810842.jpg" --- # I was always fascinated with the idea that an imaginary… ![“I was always fascinated with the idea that an imaginary friend was the perfect friend that a child created, and I wanted to play with the idea of a role reversal where the imaginary friend is waiting to find that perfect someone but has doubts about whether that day would ever come.” quote by Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/dan-santat-64253_children_i-was-always-fascinated-with-the-idea-th_2810842.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/dan-santat-64253_children_i-was-always-fascinated-with-the-idea-th_2810842.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/dan-santat-64253_children_i-was-always-fascinated-with-the-idea-th_2810842.jpg) > “I was always fascinated with the idea that an imaginary friend was the perfect friend that a child created, and I wanted to play with the idea of a role reversal where the imaginary friend is waiting to find that perfect someone but has doubts about whether that day would ever come.” [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imaginary friends can embody ideal companionship, yet doubts arise about finding that perfect person. **In simple terms:** Imaginary friends reflect ideal friendships. Key Takeaway Explore imagination for insight. Themes imagination friendship childhood identity hope Mood reflective hopeful Type psychological creative When to use this quote - Child therapy - creative writing - parent‑child bonding - educational games - self‑reflection exercises Key Concepts Psychology of imagination creative storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How do imagined friends shape real expectations? - Can doubts about perfection be productive? A Different Perspective Relying on imagined perfection may hinder real relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Fascinated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascinated/) [Fascinated Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascinated-idea-447082/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Idea Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-imaginary-3518910/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Imaginary friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-friend/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Reversal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reversal/) [Reversal Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reversal-imaginary-3518911/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [Disney made a fortune out of inventing the businessman's idea of the imaginary as the contradictory of the businessman's idea of the real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/disney-made-a-fortune-out-of-inventing-the-businessman-s-idea-of-the/) [David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/) > [I didn't have an imaginary friend, and even if I did I'm sure it would have been derivative of something I saw on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-santat/i-didn-t-have-an-imaginary-friend-and-even-if-i-did-i-m-sure-it-would/) [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) > [But do you know this idea of the imaginary homeland? Once you set out from shore on your little boat, once you embark, you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/but-do-you-know-this-idea-of-the-imaginary-homeland-once-you-set-out/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I'm not an activist by nature. I am suspicious of Utopian thinking and equally suspicious of its alternate. I would prefer to stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-not-an-activist-by-nature-i-am-suspicious-of-utopian-thinking-and-2/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Bubba was the one person who wouldn’t even bat an eyelash that Nick was talking to an “imaginary” friend. Heck, he’d probably bring one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/bubba-was-the-one-person-who-wouldn-t-even-bat-an-eyelash-that-nick/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I never wore a stich of make-up until I got to America. I lived in a world of fantasy it was made up of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/i-never-wore-a-stich-of-make-up-until-i-got-to-america-i-lived-in-a/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [Can you imagine Simon as a kid? His imaginary friends probably never wanted to play with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/can-you-imagine-simon-as-a-kid-his-imaginary-friends-probably-never/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [I still have imaginary friends who I talk to in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ryan/i-still-have-imaginary-friends-who-i-talk-to-in-my-head/) [Lee Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ryan/) > [Does religion fill a much needed gap? It is often said that there is a God-shaped gap in the brain which needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/does-religion-fill-a-much-needed-gap-it-is-often-said-that-there-is-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I took my first acting class at age 6 because I found out that's what Carol Burnett was doing - acting. Also she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lakin/i-took-my-first-acting-class-at-age-6-because-i-found-out-that-s-what/) [Christine Lakin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lakin/) > [My imaginary friend's parents think I'm not real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-imaginary-friend-s-parents-think-i-m-not-real/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Growing up as a chubby kid with a ton of imaginary friends and a Cyndi Lauper obsession, I learned about rejection early on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/growing-up-as-a-chubby-kid-with-a-ton-of-imaginary-friends-and-a/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [He says he’d rather be dead than leave me. According to him, we’re family. I guess that makes me the psycho uncle no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-says-he-d-rather-be-dead-than-leave-me-according-to-him-we-re/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [On the spectrum of imagination, there are people who are more imaginative than others - I guess some kids are hardcore pretenders and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/on-the-spectrum-of-imagination-there-are-people-who-are-more/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## More by Dan Santat > [I didn't have an imaginary friend, and even if I did I'm sure it would have been derivative of something I saw on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-santat/i-didn-t-have-an-imaginary-friend-and-even-if-i-did-i-m-sure-it-would/) [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) > [Most artists I know are private, and quiet folks who often spend most of their days alone in a studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-santat/most-artists-i-know-are-private-and-quiet-folks-who-often-spend-most/) [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) > [I didn't have an imaginary friend, and even if I did I'm sure it would have been derivative of something I saw on television.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-santat/i-didn-t-have-an-imaginary-friend-and-even-if-i-did-i-m-sure-it-would-2/) [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) > [“So rather than waiting...he did the imaginable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-santat/so-rather-than-waiting-he-did-the-imaginable/) [Dan Santat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) [Explore all 5 Dan Santat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-santat/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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