--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They weren't fact. They were possibility…" description: "\"“They weren't fact. They were possibility. Nothing more, nothing less, but the force of the possibility was shattering.”\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/haruki-murakami-21_quote_they-weren-t-fact-they-were-possibility_972806.jpg" --- # They weren't fact. They were possibility. Nothing more… ![“They weren't fact. They were possibility. Nothing more, nothing less, but the force of the possibility was shattering.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/haruki-murakami-21_quote_they-weren-t-fact-they-were-possibility_972806.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/haruki-murakami-21_quote_they-weren-t-fact-they-were-possibility_972806.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/haruki-murakami-21_quote_they-weren-t-fact-they-were-possibility_972806.jpg) > ““They weren't fact. They were possibility. Nothing more, nothing less, but the force of the possibility was shattering.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Possibility, not fact, can be a powerful force that reshapes perception and reality. **In simple terms:** Possibility can be powerful. Key Takeaway Embrace possibilities as drivers of change. Themes possibility perception power change Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - creative writing - strategic planning - personal growth - problem solving Key Concepts philosophy psychology narrative Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between useful possibilities and wishful thinking? - What role does imagination play in shaping reality? A Different Perspective Possibility alone may not guarantee outcomes without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fact Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-possibility-1879970/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Possibility Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-force-1879971/) [Possibility Shattering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-shattering-1879969/) [Shattering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shattering/) ## Related quotes > [Hope was always out ahead of fact, possibility obscured the outlines of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/hope-was-always-out-ahead-of-fact-possibility-obscured-the-outlines/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse. Solid flesh can never live up to the bright shadow cast by its absence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/farewells-can-be-shattering-but-returns-are-surely-worse-solid-flesh/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“However, one certainty floated in the air: that night, at the end of a conversation that should have brought them closer, something had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/however-one-certainty-floated-in-the-air-that-night-at-the-end-of-a/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) > [The unexpected action of deep listening can create a space of transformation capable of shattering complacency and despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/the-unexpected-action-of-deep-listening-can-create-a-space-of/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [Many people can listen to their cat more intelligently than they can listen to their own despised body. Because they attend to their pet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/many-people-can-listen-to-their-cat-more-intelligently-than-they-can/) [Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/) > [Our modern world defined God as a ‘religious complex’ and laughed at the Ten Commandments as OLD FASHIONED. Then, through the laughter came the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-b-demille/our-modern-world-defined-god-as-a-religious-complex-and-laughed-at/) [Cecil B. DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-b-demille/) > [Successful people are able to rise above crises by relaxing no matter what the external situation. Their belief in themselves, the strength of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/successful-people-are-able-to-rise-above-crises-by-relaxing-no-matter/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [“Many think they play the last act. With life in turmoil, they seem to live the setup of a shattering countdown. To an insistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/many-think-they-play-the-last-act-with-life-in-turmoil-they-seem-to/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“Sometimes, certain of God’s blessings arrive by shattering all the windows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/sometimes-certain-of-god-s-blessings-arrive-by-shattering-all-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't even know how dangerous the truth could be, all the tiny, shattering seeds it carried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/she-didn-t-even-know-how-dangerous-the-truth-could-be-all-the-tiny/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [I don't believe I did anything earth shattering as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arbaaz-khan/i-don-t-believe-i-did-anything-earth-shattering-as-an-actor/) [Arbaaz Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arbaaz-khan/) > [“You don’t want me, and I don’t want anybody else. So I’ll just be . . . left behind. Left to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hayley/you-don-t-want-me-and-i-don-t-want-anybody-else-so-i-ll-just-be-left/) [Elizabeth Hayley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hayley/) > [“bored, the strikes almost lazy. The blades made an echoing clang that reverberated up her spine, sending tiny vibrations down the arches of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-vance/bored-the-strikes-almost-lazy-the-blades-made-an-echoing-clang-that/) [Francesca Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-vance/) > [Just saw an orthodox Jewish kid do 3 pull-ups on the scaffolding. Shattering the previous record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gulman/just-saw-an-orthodox-jewish-kid-do-3-pull-ups-on-the-scaffolding/) [Gary Gulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gulman/) > [“My longtime broken heart was breaking again, shattering, falling to pieces and disintegrating. And in its place was a brand new heart. Like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/my-longtime-broken-heart-was-breaking-again-shattering-falling-to/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. 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It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Possibility quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Fiction is a way of exploring possibilities present but undreamt of in the living of a single life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/fiction-is-a-way-of-exploring-possibilities-present-but-undreamt-of/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [I'm a vegetarian - I think there's a strong possibility, had I not become a vegetarian, I would not be working now. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-m-a-vegetarian-i-think-there-s-a-strong-possibility-had-i-not/) [Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If you take text and image and you put them together, the multiple readings that are possible in either poetry or in something visual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/if-you-take-text-and-image-and-you-put-them-together-the-multiple/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [It's still possible to savor the remarkable foods that millennia of human ingenuity have teased from milk. A sip of milk itself or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-mcgee/it-s-still-possible-to-savor-the-remarkable-foods-that-millennia-of/) [Harold McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-mcgee/) > [If you allow for the possibilities of something better, you move toward it instinctively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-allow-for-the-possibilities-of-something-better-you-move/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Beware of the strong possibility that any state of a human, whether good or bad, might be the case of any other fellow human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/beware-of-the-strong-possibility-that-any-state-of-a-human-whether/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Unbounded awareness is the reservoir of possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/unbounded-awareness-is-the-reservoir-of-possibilities/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [This is the sacrifice: the endless possibility that is offered up on the altar of the form...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/this-is-the-sacrifice-the-endless-possibility-that-is-offered-up-on/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) [Browse all 4,723 Possibility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They weren't fact. 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