--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had to be a mad dream, one that would…" description: "\"“It had to be a mad dream, one that would give her the courage she would need to discard the prejudices of a class that had not always been hers but ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_it-had-to-be-a-mad-dream-one-that-would_2645881.jpg" --- # It had to be a mad dream, one that would give her the… ![“It had to be a mad dream, one that would give her the courage she would need to discard the prejudices of a class that had not always been hers but had become hers more than anyone’s. It had to teach her to think of love as a state of grace: not the means to anything but the alpha and omega, an…” quote by Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_it-had-to-be-a-mad-dream-one-that-would_2645881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_it-had-to-be-a-mad-dream-one-that-would_2645881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_it-had-to-be-a-mad-dream-one-that-would_2645881.jpg) > ““It had to be a mad dream, one that would give her the courage she would need to discard the prejudices of a class that had not always been hers but had become hers more than anyone’s. It had to teach her to think of love as a state of grace: not the means to anything but the alpha and omega, an end in itself.”” [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She must learn to love for love’s own sake, beyond utility, as an ultimate, self‑contained purpose. **In simple terms:** Love should be an end, not a means. Key Takeaway Cultivate love as a pure state. Themes love purpose spirituality Mood romantic philosophical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - romantic relationships - spiritual practice - artistic creation - community service Key Concepts self‑transcendence ethical growth inner peace Questions to Reflect On - Can love exist without any expectation? - What does loving as a state of grace look like in daily life? A Different Perspective May idealize love, ignoring practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ageing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Alpha and omega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alpha-and-omega/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [You would have to be half mad to dream me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/you-would-have-to-be-half-mad-to-dream-me-up/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [“Suddenly I found myself on Times Square. I had traveled eight thousand miles around the American continent and I was back on Times Square;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/suddenly-i-found-myself-on-times-square-i-had-traveled-eight-thousand/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“did not quite believe it himself, when he woke up thinking surely this was some mad dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/did-not-quite-believe-it-himself-when-he-woke-up-thinking-surely-this/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“If you stay on the sidelines of the here and now then your future will only ever be a pale version of a dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-howells/if-you-stay-on-the-sidelines-of-the-here-and-now-then-your-future/) [Amanda Howells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-howells/) > [“The will to dream, the courage to act and the hope to win are the stuffs that make life meaningful! Create the life you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-will-to-dream-the-courage-to-act-and-the-hope-to-win-are-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [When we dream with the courage of our soul, we dream sacred dreams - fresh, creative, and able to infuse us with passion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/when-we-dream-with-the-courage-of-our-soul-we-dream-sacred-dreams/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [When you truly have the courage to dream, you have the courage to act as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/when-you-truly-have-the-courage-to-dream-you-have-the-courage-to-act/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [If you believe in a dream and have the courage to try, anything is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hansen/if-you-believe-in-a-dream-and-have-the-courage-to-try-anything-is/) [Rick Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hansen/) > [Please allow me to wipe the slate clean. Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/please-allow-me-to-wipe-the-slate-clean-age-has-no-reality-except-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [It had to teach her to think of love as a state of grace: not the means to anything but the alpha and omega,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-had-to-teach-her-to-think-of-love-as-a-state-of-grace-not-the/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only courage you will need is the courage to live the life you are meant to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-only-courage-you-will-need-is-the-courage-to-live-the-life-you/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“I know from vast experience that fear talks a lot louder than courage. I need to listen to that other voice inside me, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-kagen/i-know-from-vast-experience-that-fear-talks-a-lot-louder-than-courage/) [Lesley Kagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-kagen/) > [Courage is all you need to be a successful person. Even to be successful in defending your LOVE. -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/courage-is-all-you-need-to-be-a-successful-person-even-to-be/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I hope this brings someone else the courage they need to face whatever challenge is before them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-hope-this-brings-someone-else-the-courage-they-need-to-face/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [The arts can open the door to the imagination, pushing the envelope of how peace can be created. It takes courage to take this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-shorter/the-arts-can-open-the-door-to-the-imagination-pushing-the-envelope-of/) [Wayne Shorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-shorter/) ## More by Gabriel Garcia Marquez > [“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. Then he looked at Florentino Ariza, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/the-captain-looked-at-fermina-daza-and-saw-on-her-eyelashes-the-first/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Courage did not come from the need to survive, or from a brute indifference inherited from someone else, but from a driving need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/courage-did-not-come-from-the-need-to-survive-or-from-a-brute/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-aprendido-que-un-hombre-s-lo-tiene-derecho-a-mirar-a-otro-hacia/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [From the moment I wrote 'Leaf Storm' I realized I wanted to be a writer and that nobody could stop me and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/from-the-moment-i-wrote-leaf-storm-i-realized-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Berhentilah sepi, hidup ini pendek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/berhentilah-sepi-hidup-ini-pendek/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He thought about his people without sentimentalily, with a strick closing of his accounts with life, beginning to understand how much he really loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-thought-about-his-people-without-sentimentalily-with-a-strick/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Why were you so old when we met? I answered with the truth: Age isn't how old you are but how old you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/why-were-you-so-old-when-we-met-i-answered-with-the-truth-age-isn-t/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Between the covers of the books that no one had ever read again, in the old parchments damaged by dampness, a livid flower had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/between-the-covers-of-the-books-that-no-one-had-ever-read-again-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Fear had absorbed her completely and remained there, fixed, tenacious, almost corporeal, as if it were some invisible person who had made up his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/fear-had-absorbed-her-completely-and-remained-there-fixed-tenacious/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Today I know I was right. The adolescents of my generation, greedy for life, forgot in body and soul about their hopes for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/today-i-know-i-was-right-the-adolescents-of-my-generation-greedy-for/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“...It was then, for the first time, that she understood above all her virtues what was in command was the vanity of a metaphysical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-then-for-the-first-time-that-she-understood-above-all-her/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel Garcia Marquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Ageing quotes > [“The whole idea of it makes me feel Like I’m coming down with something, Something worse than any stomach ache Or the headaches I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [People's opinions don't interfere with me. Ageing gracefully is supposed to mean trying not to hide time passing and just looking a wreck. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/people-s-opinions-don-t-interfere-with-me-ageing-gracefully-is/) [Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/) > [“Ageing must be like wearing a heavy, itchy suit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cardamone/ageing-must-be-like-wearing-a-heavy-itchy-suit/) [Tom Cardamone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cardamone/) > [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [“She has built her whole life on the foundation of beauty: each chiseled plane, each sloping dimple, each soft curve as crucial as keystones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/she-has-built-her-whole-life-on-the-foundation-of-beauty-each/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“I've been 21 for many years now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/i-ve-been-21-for-many-years-now/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Age doesn't define maturity. Some people will never grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/age-doesn-t-define-maturity-some-people-will-never-grow-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ageing is so many different things, and cells being able to self-renew is part of the picture but not all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/ageing-is-so-many-different-things-and-cells-being-able-to-self-renew/) [Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/) > [Dying is a matter of slapstick and pratfalls. The ageing process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/dying-is-a-matter-of-slapstick-and-pratfalls-the-ageing-process-is/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/anyone-who-stops-learning-is-old-whether-this-happens-at-twenty-or-at/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [All of my friends are my age and we are all ageing at the same time. We talk about it and moan, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-schiffer/all-of-my-friends-are-my-age-and-we-are-all-ageing-at-the-same-time/) [Claudia Schiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-schiffer/) > [You've got to get your head right about ageing. Taking care of diet and exercise and facing your fears about growing older will lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-garraway/you-ve-got-to-get-your-head-right-about-ageing-taking-care-of-diet/) [Kate Garraway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-garraway/) > [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [“Growing age can kill the beauty, not the style.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/growing-age-can-kill-the-beauty-not-the-style/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) [Browse all 311 Ageing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It had to be a mad dream, one that would give her the courage she would need to discard the prejudices of a class that had not always been hers but had become hers more than anyone’s. 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