--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some men see things as they are, and say…" description: "\"“Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream things as they never were, and say, why not.”\" — George Bernard Shaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png" --- # Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream… ![“Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream things as they never were, and say, why not.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png) > ““Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream things as they never were, and say, why not.”” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It contrasts factual acceptance with imaginative ambition, urging us to question limits and envision possibilities. **In simple terms:** Seeing reality versus dreaming beyond it. Key Takeaway Embrace imagination over resignation. Themes creativity ambition vision Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business strategy - artistic creation - personal growth - scientific research Key Concepts philosophy imagination innovation Questions to Reflect On - What limits do you accept without questioning? - How can imagination reshape your goals? A Different Perspective Dreams may overlook practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ## Related quotes > [Some men see things as they are, and say why. I dream of things that never were, and say why not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-of-things-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Some men see things as they are, and say, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were, and say, ‘Why not?’” —GEORGE BERNARD SHAW”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-robbins/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-of-things-that-2/) [Anthony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-robbins/) > [“I hear you say 'Why?' Always 'Why?' You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-hear-you-say-why-always-why-you-see-things-and-you-say-why-but-i/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You see things and you say, 'Why?'. But I dream things and I say, 'Why not?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-see-things-and-you-say-why-but-i-dream-things-and-i-say-why-not/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You see things and say, 'Why?', but I dream things and say, 'Why not?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-see-things-and-say-why-but-i-dream-things-and-say-why-not/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-see-things-you-say-why-but-i-dream-things-that-never-were-and-i/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Some people see things as they are and say why?. I dream of things and say why not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kenney/some-people-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-of-things-and/) Robert Kenney > [Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-ask-why-others-dream-things-that/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [My dream is to do things until 'I have no regrets'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-taemin/my-dream-is-to-do-things-until-i-have-no-regrets/) [Lee Taemin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-taemin/) > [Ever wondered why you dream the things you do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/ever-wondered-why-you-dream-the-things-you-do/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [We need men who can dream of things that never were, and ask why not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/we-need-men-who-can-dream-of-things-that-never-were-and-ask-why-not/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-look-at-things-that-are-and-ask-why-i-dream-of-things-that-never/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“ But what is a dream, Conor O'Malley? the monster said, bending down so it's face was close to Conor's. Who is to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/but-what-is-a-dream-conor-o-malley-the-monster-said-bending-down-so/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [I do not know at first what it is that harms me. The men and things of to-day are wont to be fairer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-know-at-first-what-it-is-that-harms-me-the-men-and-things-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Men who do things without being told draw the most wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/men-who-do-things-without-being-told-draw-the-most-wages/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream things as they never were, and say, why not.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-things-as-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-things-as-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fda/george-bernard-shaw-68_dream_some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say_1338727.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some men see things as they are, and say, why; I dream things as they never were, and say, why not.” — George Bernard Shaw", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Some men see things as they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-things-as-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/some-men-see-things-as-they-are-and-say-why-i-dream-things-as-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```